Hundreds of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, stop the escalating security concerns in the country.
They further alarmed that the first quarter of 2021 witnessed an all-time high fatalities mass atrocity incidences across the country.
The petitio signed by the Joint Action Civil Society Coalition/Nigeria Mourns Secretariat and made available to Vanguard revealed that “Following its sharp increase of 43 per cent in mass atrocities 2020, Nigeria has continued to experience a decline in security across the nation. In the first quarter of 2021 (January to March), we recorded an all-time quarterly high of almost 2000 fatalities from mass atrocities incidents across the country. This week, across the 6 geopolitical zones, there were escalated combustions of violence resulting in even more deaths.
“In our last joint statement, we had issued in February 2021, we had catalogued the assortment of mass atrocities plaguing the country, in particular: The unending war in the North East with our troops often bearing the brunt of this government’s security failures.
“Gross injustices by President Buhari’s government against the Nigerian people such that peaceful protesters are threatened and attacked by the government’s security agents while terrorists carrying out mass murder, rape, maiming and kidnapping of Nigerians including women and children are feted, molly coddled, granted ‘amnesty’ and paid by the government. This is tantamount to funding and supporting terrorists, encouraging murder and the decimation of the Nigeria’s gallant troops and amounts to treason against the Nigerian State and people.
“Terrorist herder attacks on unarmed farming communities and reprisal attacks in the face of government inaction and failure to bring the terrorist herdsmen and their funders to justice.
“Large scale terrorist attacks in the North West irresponsibly tagged by the government as ‘banditry’ in a bid to downplay their criminality.
“Industrial scale kidnappings all across the country.
“Extrajudicial killings by State Security agents in various forms,
“Inter-ethnic violence; and
“Menace of political cult gangs and ethnic militia; and in that statement we had called on the government of General Muhammad Buhari to take immediate actions to:
“Provide political and moral leadership for the security crisis and ensure governmental actions are humane in tandem with Section 17 (2) (C) of the Constitution.”
The body called on President Buhari to end impunity for abuse of power and sectionalism through his appointments by balancing the need for competence with the federal character principle. In this way, he will demonstrate that every part of Nigeria matters as sectional appointments appear to fuel sectional violence.
“Take responsibility and end the persecution of the media and free speech both of which are foundations of a democratic state. Mobilise our rich Nigerian assets to address the insecurity situation across the country and seek international cooperation to ramp up security assets.
“We had also demanded that where the President fails to fulfill his constitutional duties as stated above, that he steps aside, or, that the National Assembly initiates impeachment proceedings against him on grounds of gross misconduct as provided for in Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are appalled to note that despite our strongly worded statement, President Buhari’s government has failed to heed our call to fulfil his role as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and Nigeria’s democratically elected President. We are therefore left with no other option than to take action to drive home our call to the government.
“We are, therefore, calling on all Nigerians to register their displeasure with the state of affairs across the country by participating a series of mass actions from Monday the 26th of May 2021, participate in solemn assemblies across the country to commemorate the 4th National Day of Mourning and Remembrance of Victims of Mass Atrocities on May 28th 2021 and boycott all Democracy Day activities on May 29, 2021 in protest of the deplorable state of our democracy.
“We again call on Muhammadu Buhari led national government and the state governments to rise up to their constitutional duties as enshrined in S14(2)(b), to ensure the security and welfare of all Nigerians, and pull the nation back from the path of destruction.”
Joint Action Civil Society Coalition/Nigeria Mourns Secretariat
Signed:
#DoNigeriaRight
Action Aid
Adinya Arise Foundation
Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative
Advocacy Center for Development
African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD)
African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL)
All-4-One Humanity Development Foundation
Alliances for Africa
Ayodeji Fadugba
Baobab for Women’s Human Rights
Bauchi Human Rights Network
Benevolent Initiative for Development
Benue We Deserve (BenDef)
Bimbo Odukoya Foundation (BOF)
Black Diamonds Support Foundation
CAFSO-WRAG for Development
Cece Yara Foundation.
CedarSeed Foundation
CEE-HOPE Nigeria
Center for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria
Center for Women’s Health and Information (CEHWIN)
Centre for Accountability and Inclusive Development (CAAID)
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), West Africa
Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)
Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
Centre for Liberty
Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN)
Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA)
Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN)
CITAD
Citizens Assistance Center
Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness
Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution
Community Women’s Rights Foundation
COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding
Concerned Nigerians
Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative
Connected Development (CODE)
Conscience for human Rights and conflict Resolution (CHRCR)
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
Crime Victims Foundation
Daria Media Foundation
Dinidari Foundation
Disabled People in Leadership Initiative
Dorothy Njemanze Foundation(DNF)
Dr. Aderonke Adesanya
Dr. Fatima T. Lawson
Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives
Elixir Trust Foundation
Emerge Women Development Initiative (EWDI)
Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria
Equality Through Education Foundation (ETEF)
Esan Women Movement
FACICP Disability Plus
FEMBUD
First Future Leadership
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria)
Free Nigeria Movement
Gender Development Initiative
Global Rights
Grassroots Development Monitoring and Advocacy Centre
Greenspring Development Initiative
Hallmark Leadership Initiative
HEDA Resource Centre
House of Justice
Human Rights Advocacy & Monitoring Group (HURAMG)
Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD)
Initiative for Social Development in Africa
International Center for Human Rights, Nonviolence And Safety Awareness
Justice for Peace and Development Initiative (JPDI)
Kebetkatche Women Development and Resource Center
Keen and Care Initiative (KCI)
Lagos Women 2030
Laila St.Matthew-Daniel
Learning Through Skills Acquisition Initiative (LETSAI)
Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP)
Legal Resources Consortium (LRC)
Lex Initiative for Rights Advocacy and Development (LIRAD)
Lillian Okenwa
M.O.N Legal
Maria Ebun Foundation
Media and Teens Network
Media Concern Initiative
Molluma Medico-Legal Center
Mowalek Centre for Sustainable Community Development
Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation.
Network of Disabled Women
Niger Accountability Group
Nigerian Feminist Forum
Online HubNG
Open Bar Initiative
Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN), Nigeria
Pan African Young Women Development Initiative (PAYWODI)
Partners West Africa – Nigeria
Policy Alert
Prison Inmate Development Initiative PIDI-NIGERIA
Professor Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome
Project Alert on Violence Against Women
Raising New Voices Initiative
Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)
Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative, Gombe.
Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC)
SBM Intelligence
Sesor Empowerment Foundation
Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC)
South-South Professional Women Association (SSPWA)
Support Initiative for Sustainable Development (SISDEV)
TAP N’Itiative
The Interactive Initiative for Social Impact
Tijani Abdulkareem
Transformational Parenteen Network
Vision Spring Initiatives
We the People
Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)
Women and Young People’s Awareness Initiative (WAYAI)
Women in Media and Communications Initiative
Women Youths and Children Advancement Program (WOYCAP)
Women’s Rights And Health Project
Women’s Crisis Centre Owerri
Working Moms Africa
Working Moms Africa (WMA)
World Impact Development Foundation (WIDEF)
Yiaga Africa
