AOAV’s Nigerian partner, the National Working Group on Armed Violence (NWGAV), yesterday condemned the violence which is currently plaguing Nigeria.
The NWGAV, a network of Nigerian civil society organisations committed to disarmament and armed violence prevention and reduction, has representatives from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, and is coordinated by the Women’s Right to Education Programme (WREP).
The group expressed sadness over the lives of innocent Nigerians being killed in the regular attacks and considered it worrisome.
The statement reads: “Nigeria as a nation experienced again another sad atrocity of losing scores of its citizens through multiple bombing that exploded in Jos Market on 20th of May, 2014. This sad attack on innocent citizens is a worrisome reminder to Nigerians on the recent bombings in Kano (few days back) as well as the citizens sorrow over similar multiple bomb devastation in Nyanya as well as other bombings that has taken place in the Northeast, Northwest and North central parts of our dear country, Nigeria. In the depth of our pains on the rate at which our citizens are murdered through acts of armed violence the National Working Group on Armed Violence and Development in Nigeria wishes to unequivocally condemn this ugly development in the history of Nigeria.”While we condemn this unfortunate emergence of bombing as a critical dimension of armed violence in Nigeria, we are appealing to the conscience of the perpetrators to desist from harming innocent Nigerians, who by no means are part of any factors that drive armed violence in Nigeria.
We wish to observe as follows:
- The increase in bombing and other forms of armed violence will do no good to any citizen or resident either now or in the near future.
- It will take Nigeria several years more than it will take to recover the country from the effects of these armed violence and bombing than the devastation caused by military rulein Nigeria.
- The poverty rate in Nigeria, which is already one of the worst among oil producing nations, will hit an irreversible height, if this spat of bombing is not stemmed and the energy injected to building a safe nation for all.
- Nigerians have no other country than Nigeria, thus no level of anger, agitation or provocation should warrant the kind of wanton destruction that is being visited on the country since 2009, where the poor have been the major causality.
Based on our observation above, we wish to demand as follows:
- The federal government should quickly review all drivers of armed violence, particular sources of arms and explosives, tighter boarder control and improved activation of citizens’ patriotism to ensure the nation’s security.
- Nigeria government should quickly set up victim assistance and rehabilitation centres to ameliorate the suffering of victims and their families.
- Involve citizens more in intelligence gathering while providing mechanism to ensure protection of citizens involved in security intelligence.
- All the tiers of government, especially at the local levels, should come together to find a lasting solution to this increasing level of insecurity to Nigeria citizens and residents.
”We are equally calling on Nigeria Government to quickly reorganize the nation’s security architecture so that lives and properties can be secured once again. We are equally calling on Nigerians and residents to unite against this new wave of armed violence in other to quickly eradicate it.
With heavy heart, the National Working Group on Armed violence wishes to extend its condolences to the families that have lost their beloved ones and those that have suffered injuries or disabilities in these spates of bombings in Nigeria.
Signed
Mimidoo Achakpa Emeka Ononamadu
National Focal Person South East Focal Person
National Working Group on Armed Violence condemns Jos bombing
This is contained a statement signed by the party`s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh, on Wednesday in Abuja.