By Williams ABAH
A civil society group, Global rights has called for an end to mass atrocities across the country. In a two days summit held in Abuja, tagged “Mass atrocities, need for prevention” the group said mass atrocities has affected social and economic lives of Nigerians in all ramification. It noted that mass atrocities has claimed innocent lives, describing it as a recurring decimal which has become a new normal in all facets of socio economic lives of people..
Earlier in her opening remark, the executive director, Global rights, ms. Abiodun Baiyewu, said the atrocities in the country, is one that has encourage a lot of illicit acts that has brought Nigerians into crisis, which range from ethnic crisis, political corruption, arm banditry, famer/herdsmen clashes. She said”Killing of human being has become a new normal in our today Nigeria. Human lives is no longer valuable. Our country has turned into a killing field, i do not think it is the way to go about resolving our differences as a nation. The state actor should know that their action and inaction contributes to this atrocities. Nigerians is a signatory to so many international right, hence the need for the country to maintain their position among the commity of Nation “
The chairman, National Human Right Commission, NHRC, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, represented by a deputy director in the commission, Mr. Halilu Adamu, applauded Global rights for organising the summit at a time when it is most needed. According to him, there are so many critical issues that needs urgent attention to be addressed in the area of mass atrocities going on in the country.
He stated that atrocities can alter the good intention of the goverment’s leaders noting that various panel has been set up to try alleged public leaders, but some of them refused to show up. In his words”The Oputa panel was set up by Olusegun Obasanjo,for our former leaders to give accounts of their activities while in office, but some of them refused to honour the summon. The panel did not yields the needed results. All hands must be on deck to ensure that memory of atrocities committed across the country is not lost, so we can address them”.
He added that resistance from the state actors to prevent atrocities, has made it difficult for activists to prevent it from re-occurence, urging that right group should not be discourage, but continue to speak out, until the authority do the needful.
Also speaking virtually at the event, human right activist, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, said atrocities committed by state and non state actors has birthed so many crises Nigeria is facing to day. Interacting with journalists, ordinkalu said Nigeria’s leaders don’t want to hear what they don’t like. According to him the country is so divided that every body is fighting for what will benefit him or her, not minding the collective interest of all Nigerians. In his words, “people don’t care about what happens to the other Ethnic group. When there is crisis in the North, the South will not care, since it is not happening in their place, and it continue in that standard until the entire country is engulfed with crisis” He described arm banditry in the North, as a civil war between Hausa and Fulani, noting that War is brewing between the two ethnic group.
The Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kuka, represented at the event by Ataba Bakindo, suggest the introduction of Mass atrocities as a subject in school curriculum to educate the youth, so that they can desist from any form of bad behavior. According to him, mass atrocities has affected Nigeria’s economy, as many productive men and women lost their lives in crisis as a result of the said atrocities. In his words “The killings in the Middle Belt, particularly in Benue state, has shrink agric produce, this has also.affects the distribution of agric produce to the entire country” He said since the pepetrators of atrocities are not punished to served as deterrent to others, the crisis will continue in a vicious circle.
Other civil activists at the event, Aual Rafanjani, and Chetan Nzeh, said the fight against mass atrocities should going beyond the state actors to the private sector. They however, expressed fear that the private sector might not do anything to.forestall the incident due to their survival which depends on the government, urging the activists to continue to speak out.
