UN condemns the killing of Kogi PDP woman leader

The United Nation has condemned the gruesome killing of Mrs Salome Achejuh Abu, Woman Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Wada/Aro campaign council, in the recent gubernatorial election in Kogi State.

Mrs Abu was set ablaze on November 18 in her husband’s house at Ochadamu in Ofu Local Government Area of the state by suspected political thugs during the violence that erupted after the Kogi State governorship election’s result was released on November 18.

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed who reacted to the development in Abuja while briefing State House correspondents on Tuesday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said the issue came up during her meeting with the President alongside other gender-based violence in the country.

She expressed delight that President Buhari has already condemned the killing of the politician and ordered a thorough investigation.

On what she specifically discussed with the President over the killing, the deputy UN Scribe said: “Mine was to commend him for condemning the death of the politician in Kogi state.

“We did not go into a discussion around it, but the fact that he has shown zero tolerance for it and insisted on an investigation…For us, it’s important especially as we start this week on gender-based violence in all its ramifications.”

Reacting on the hate speech bill before the parliament, prescribing a penalty for offenders, Mohammed who welcomed initiatives, however, stressed that the world body was not disposed to supporting the death penalty.

“First, we need to know that globally, we are in a space that hate speech has reached an all-time high and so many checks and balances we can put into the society, into a country, into a region to bring an end to that is welcome.

“Again, the way the legislation is being followed to try to put that in place, I think is commendable.

“We, of course, did not support the death penalty and I am also happy to see yesterday that portion was taken out of the legislation that was being put forward.

“The (UN) Secretary-General had also put in place a special ending on hate speech. So, there is a strategy for that now and we are looking at that globally.

“I think this framework is important for multilateralism and we can go much further if we do these things together. Many of these issues are across borders through technologies.”

She said, however, that though her visit to Nigeria was personal, she was at the presidential villa to pay a courtesy on President Buhari for the support the UN has enjoyed from Nigeria.