Over 2400 Nigerians Killed, 1800 Others Abducted In Tinubu’s First 8 Months – Report

At least 2,423 people have been killed, and 1,872 individuals have been abducted within the first eight months of President Bola Tinubu‘s administration.

This was made known by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) known as the Civil Society Joint Action Group during a press conference in Abuja.

The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, spoke on behalf of the group.

He urged President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the current security situation in Nigeria and proposed a timeline for security agencies to address insecurity.

The CSOs expressed deep concern about the escalating security challenges and called for urgent measures to combat terrorism, especially in addressing the surge in abductions.

He said, “Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria under the auspices of the Civil Society Joint Action Group, Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities, and Nigeria Mourns, are deeply concerned by the deteriorating state of security across Nigeria and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and therefore call on the Nigerian government to take actionable steps to end the endemic insecurity, mitigate further attacks by kidnap syndicates and terrorist groups, and, account for persons missing in these attacks.

“Mass atrocities fatality tracking across the country by Nigeria Mourns reveals that in President Buhari’s second term alone (2019 to 2023), after Buhari as a former military general, gained public trust to run as president by promising to curb the then fledgling insecurity, at least 24,816 Nigerians lost their lives, and at least 15,597 persons were abducted.

“This alarming trend has continued despite President Tinubu’s assurance at the beginning of his presidency in May 2023 to tackle insecurity. It has now been eight months since President Tinubu took his oath of office and yet, things have failed to improve.

“Our tracking shows at least 2,423 people have been killed in mass atrocities-related incidents and at least 1,872 persons were abducted since the beginning of President Tinubu’s administration till January 26, 2024.

“We are particularly concerned about the upsurge in abductions, noting that at least 230 incidents, in most of which multiple victims were involved, occurred within the first two weeks of January 2024 alone.”

Rafsanjani said over the past decade and a half, insecurity in Nigeria has spiralled due to a variety of violent phenomena, including but not limited to terrorist activities in the entire northern region, terror pillages otherwise known as banditry in the north-west, farmer-herder violence in the Middle Belt, including the Benue Valley, secessionist struggles in the south-east, piracy in the country’s southern coast, inter-communal attacks, political violence, cult-gang

He stated that these forms of insecurity had jeopardised Nigerians’ security and well-being and had worsened over time.

The coalition also urged the government to fulfill its constitutional duty to ensure the security and welfare of all citizens.

They encouraged North Central state governors, including Kaduna, “to consider creating a unifying security structure within the confines of the law, just like their counterparts in the Southwest who established Amotekun to fight crimes and criminality in their region.”

The press conference was prompted by a recent incident in Borno State where seven farmers were killed by a Boko Haram Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonation on the Pulka-Firgi Road in Gwoza local government area.

KanyiDaily recalls that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi had called on President Bola Tinubu to fulfill his campaign promise to Nigerians by addressing the prevalent insecurity in the country.