- Account for the Missing and the Dead, and Ensure Justice for Mass Atrocities
- “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government.”
In observance of the 2024 National Day of Mourning and in assessment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first year in office, the undersigned civil society organizations hereby reiterate their call on the government to fulfill its constitutional duty of ensuring the security and well-being of every Nigerian, accounting for the missing and deceased, and ensuring justice for the various forms of mass atrocities throughout the country.
An annual citizen-led initiative, the National Day of Mourning and Remembrance for Victims of Mass Atrocities and Violent Killings, aims to demand justice for victims of mass atrocities and to acknowledge them as more than just statistics, but as human beings whose identities must never be forgotten. The purpose of the National Day of Mourning is to further reinforce our sense of unity and patriotism by serving as a reminder that we are all in this together and that the position of citizen is the most powerful one that can be held in Nigeria.
The perennial insecurity of Nigeria has earned it the status as one of the most insecure countries in the world. Nigeria placed fifth on the Global Violence Index, indicating that it is highly vulnerable to violence, and 144th out of 163 nations on the Global Peace Index in 2024, between nations that are engaged in active battle.
Our data indicate that since May 28, 2023, the last National Day of Mourning #NDOM2023 was observed, during President Tinubu’s first year in office, at least 4416 people have died and at least 4334 have been kidnapped in acts of mass atrocities across the nation. The routine crimes of armed robbery and other types of crimes falling within that category are not included in these figures. These violent occurrences have reduced to a mere inscription the people’ right to life and dignity guaranteed by Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended). Nigerians have lived in constant fear and uncertainty as a result of the frequency of these crimes, which is having an adverse effect on social cohesion, the national economy, public health, and education.
While no region of the country has been spared in the past year, the North Central region has accounted for the highest number of fatalities from mass atrocities, with at least 1600 lives claimed in terror pillages, communal clashes, and herdsmen attacks. With at least 1,136 fatalities, mostly from terror-pillage attacks (banditry), the North West came in second. Particularly hard-hit were communities like Maradun Local Government in Zamfara State, which endured at least five separate incidents of terror pillages in 2023 in a series of attacks that claimed at least 118 lives.
In the previous year, the North East saw at least 904 fatalities. The majority of the horrific killings in the Northeast are still caused by Boko Haram/ISWAP operations, mostly in Borno State, though there have also been isolated cases in Yobe and Adamawa states. We also observed an increase in conflicts between rebel groups.
For instance, a conflict between insurgent groups occurred in Borno State’s Kukawa Local Government Area, resulting in the deaths of at least 82 Boko Haram militants.
With at least 344 fatalities, the Southeast had the greatest death toll in the southern region of the nation; the majority of these deaths were in the states of Imo and Anambra. The majority of the deaths were caused by secessionist activity in the area, as was previously stated. In the South South region, where at least 272 people were slain, terror-bandit attacks, communal conflicts, and cult gangs continued to claim lives. At least 160 people lost their lives in cult conflicts, herdsman militia attacks, and other sporadic incidents in the Southwest.
We noted that the sustained trend of brazen killings, abductions, and pillages across the country reflects the impunitious confidence of armed groups whose acts of violence are rewarded with ransom payments, control over pillaged communities, and taxes extorted
from communities in exchange for peace. We are perplexed that while the government successfully tracked and frozen the bank accounts of #EndSARS protesters, it is unable to trace and quash kidnapping and ransom rings across the country using the same technology.
In addition to attacks from armed groups, extrajudicial killings by state security actors have also continued, with at least 274 people extrajudicially killed by security personnel. We note, in particular, that 160 people were killed in two incidents of “accidental airstrikes” in Kaduna and Zamfara states, and that no one has been held accountable till date.
State security personnel have also continued to fall victim to the violence, with at least 262 security personnel killed on active duty across the country in the past year. These numbers include 110 military and 126 police officers. The unmitigated levels of insecurity across the nation have continued to impact not only the dead; all Nigerians suffer the manifested consequences of food insecurity and economic hardships resulting from hindrances imposed by perennial insecurity. We also note its continued effect on the nation’s educational sector. At least 406 of the abductees within the period were students. We note with particular sadness that Nigeria continues to boast of
having the most out-of-school children in the world.
On this National Day of Mourning (#NDOM2024), we are raising the voice of Nigerians’ demands that the government uphold its constitutional duty to protect the safety and welfare of all Nigerians. We are really unhappy with the situation in our country since you have let us down! Nigerians are worthy of better! We additionally caution President Bola Tinubu, the heads of the security services, and our delegates in the National Assembly that should they persist in neglecting their constitutional responsibilities, we shall vehemently and severely vote against their credibility.
More precisely, we require the Nigerian government to:
1. Fulfilling its constitutional obligations under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, will ensure the security of Nigerians’ lives and property.
2. Address the gaping socioeconomic inequities that are exacerbating violent crimes across the country. In particular, the government should prioritize providing quality education for all, infrastructure for unreserved communities, and opportunity leverage for the indigent and marginalized.
3. Acts humanely towards internally displaced persons across the country and communities affected by insecurity, as stipulated in Section 17(2)(c) of the Constitution
4. Prioritize improving the welfare (including psycho-social support) of our gallant security assets who daily deal with the trauma of being on the front lines.
5. Disincentive the payment of ransoms by tracking the financial flow of ransoms and communal extortion to identify and bring to book terrorists and terror merchants currently pillaging Nigeria.
6. Investigate, arrest, and prosecute all perpetrators of these violent crimes, including those perpetrated during the 2023 general elections.
On this occasion of this year’s National Day of Mourning, we commiserate and stand in solidarity with all Nigerians who have lost loved ones and property to mass atrocities; we demand justice for the dead and displaced and the safe return of all abducted persons.
In order to hold the government accountable, we, as a coalition of organized civil society groups throughout Nigeria, promise to keep raising the voices of the people.
