Women group urges FG to end killings, arrest perpetrators

Over 40 women organizations in Nigeria have called on President Muhammadu buhari’s led Federal Government to put an end to the incessant killings in parts of the country especially Jos, Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna and Zamfara States.

They also urged government to set up a commission of enquiry to look into the armed herdsmen who go about killing people without recourse with a view to proffering a lasting and just solution.

Joy Onyesoh, National Coordinator, Women’s Situation Room Nigeria (WSRN) who led the women in a protest on Tuesday in Abuja from the Millennium Park to the National Human Rights Commission where they submitted their demands to the Executive Secretary, Mr Anthony Ojukwu; urged the Commission to take statistics of people being killed in the country.

Oyesoh further called on Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion, to stand together to strongly condemn ‘these killings and bloodshed’.

She said, “We all have a right to life, therefore religious ethnic, political or vocational affiliations should not change this. We want peace in Nigeria and we want the Human Rights Commission to help us stop the killings in the country. We are tired of a Nigeria where people are being killed like chickens.”

The women urged all citizens of Nigeria to promote peace, shun armed violence and indeed violence in all its forms; appealing to all Nigerians to use their voice and not arms to make demands and to hold our government accountable to its responsibilities.

Also speaking, a Nigerian actress, Dorothy Njemanze said that over 85 percent of people being killed are women, demanding that the government should provide holistic support to the families of victims and survivors.

Njemanze also said that the Human Rights Commission should take records of those killed in the country.

She said, “When we employ you by electing you into office, you must be accountable to us. Therefore, we demand an end to these killings. The people who are to vote in elections are being killed while cows are given adequate protection.

Until the lives of Nigerians killed in the villages are accounted for, government officials must stop using public funds to fund their medical bills abroad.

You don’t roll out red carpet for Mr President when people are being killed. It was an insult to the citizens when the president visited Plateau State on a condolence.”

Some of the placards carried by the women read: Placards: Stop the Blood Bath. Govt Can Stop These Killings If They Want. The Impunity Is Unbearable. Bloodshed Is Not A Red Carpet.

The Executive Secretary of Human Rights, Mr Anthony Ojukwu said that one of the solutions that could solve the killings in the country was the establishment of State Police to complement the Federal Police.

As a Commission, Ojukwu assured, the Women’s Situation Room Nigeria ( WSRN) that they would continue to advised the authority on the best way to end the killings, adding that the Human Rights Commission was collecting data of the victims.

WSRN is made up of over 40 women focused organisations working at different levels seeking to increase women’s substantive participation in conflict prevention and peace building processes.

Onyesoh further stated: “The women of Nigeria and indeed most of the populace are shocked and saddened by the tragic and inhumane killings of citizens and destruction of properties across Nigeria.

The upsurge of violence against Nigerian citizens with women and children bearing the brunt of the casualties and sufferings has become a major source of concern that needs to be addressed in the immediate.

“WSRN in holding this ‘Women for Peace Rally’ today in 20 States across all geopolitical zones stands together in peaceful solidarity in honor of victims, survivors and families of all violent and inhuman killings across Nigeria. Our heart goes out to the grieving and bereaved at this time.

This continuous killings and unjust spilling of human blood must stop. We urge the Nigerian Government to live up to its responsibilities of protecting lives and properties.

According to section 33 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria “Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life”… we urge our leaders, security and law enforcement agencies to uphold and implement these laws and met out punishments to the perpetrators of these inhumane crimes.”