• Afenifere seeks NSA, govs’ synergy to tackle security challenges
• Reiterates call for state police, restructuring
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Federal Government to urgently end the ongoing killings and abduction of unarmed citizens across the country, particularly in Benue and Plateau states, describing the situation as unacceptable and preventable.
Falana, who is the Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), gave the charge in a statement yesterday, decrying the continued attacks by armed herders and gunmen in vulnerable communities.
He, however, commended the swift response by security agencies following the recent killing of 16 people in Uromi, Edo State, where 14 suspects were promptly arrested.
He also acknowledged the proactive steps taken by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who visited Kano State to meet with his counterpart, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and the families of the deceased with a pledge to compensate the victims’ families financially.
Falana, who lamented that a similar thing has not been extended to victims of the recent violence in Benue and Plateau states where scores have been killed in recurring attacks, urged the Attorneys-General of Edo, Benue, and Plateau states to ensure that suspects already in custody are charged to court without further delay to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
He further called on state governments to encourage citizens’ collaboration with security agencies by promoting the sharing of intelligence and useful information.
“To achieve security, the Nigerian state must earn the trust and cooperation of its people. We cannot afford to remain passive while our citizens are killed or abducted daily,” he said.
RELATEDLY, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to collaborate with state governors to curb security challenges in the country.
Afenifere also called on the Federal Government and security agencies to redesign the security architecture in such a way that those in charge of security would be able to dig deeper into the causes of insecurity and deal with them decisively.
These were parts of the resolutions at the end of the group’s caucus meeting held in Akure, the home of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.
The meeting reiterated the group’s conviction that restructuring is the most potent instrument to tackle the socio-political and economic challenges that have been besetting Nigeria for a long time.
It also reiterated its call for state police and restructuring, saying that given the centrality of restructuring and many challenges facing the country, President Bola Tinubu should quicken the country’s realisation of true federalism as soon as possible.
