*Says Nigerians suffering despite huge spending on law enforcements

The Nigeria Bar Association through one of her institute, the Human Rights Institute of the NBA (NBA-HRI) has challenged President Mohammed Buhari to immediately tackle the insecurity situation across the country, which is his primary constitutional responsibility as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, stating that not only do Nigerians now live in fear but also the Conduction of 2023 election in a free and fair manner is threatened by the waves of insecurity in the country.

This was made known through a press release made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, dated 19th July, 2022 and signed by the Chairman of NBA-HRI, Chinonye Obiagwu SAN. According to the release, this charge was issued to the President after the first NBA-HRI Human Rights Summit held in the NBA House, Abuja, on 15th July, 2022 and well attended by 450 lawyers, physically and virtually.

According to the release, in the summit it was recounted that every part of Nigeria is currently experiencing massive attacks by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal gangs, and the law enforcement agencies appear overwhelmed and helpless as only very few of the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted. Thus, according to the release, the NBA is worried about this development.

Still remarking on events that were recounted in the summit and which caused a lot of worries, the release read thus;

“The summit was worried that the Correctional Service Center (prison) in Kuje, Abuja, was attacked by armed men for almost three hours, at the end of which over 600 prisoners, including terrorist suspects, were forcefully released. Before then, the country was shocked by terrorist attack on worshippers in a church in Owo, Ondo State, in which over 35 people were massacred. Similar fatal attacks had, within the past few weeks, occurred in Kaduna and other parts of the country.

The summit also recalled that it is now over seven years that the Chibok school girls were abducted from their school by Boko Haram terrorists, and many of them are yet to be returned. Survivors of numerous abductions and kidnappings across the country pay millions of naira in ransom to secure their release, and most are killed or still remain in captivity, including hundreds of passengers.