A group of over 500 women organisations, activists, advocates and practitioners, Womanifesto, has strongly condemned the recent wave of insecurities and kidnappings in Nigeria even as they called for the immediate resumption of National Assembly members to address the issue.
The group yesterday disclosed that the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) revealed that over 380 people were kidnapped in Nigeria between December 1, 2023 and January 3, 2024. The number of reported kidnapped persons between June 2022 and July 2023 increased to 3,620, an analysis of data from SBM Intelligence reveals. While government statistics for Abuja show 40 kidnap cases involving 236 victims between January 2021 and June 2023, even as they argued that the exact number may be higher.
According to the group, it is unimaginable that despite the myriads of security issues, the National Assembly chose to extend their 3-week yuletide holiday, saying they should prioritize security issue and take swift action to address it.
Womanifesto said, “In the midst of this crisis, Womanifesto finds it unimaginable that the National Assembly extended its holiday after a three-week Christmas and New Year recess. This action, we believe, reeks of nonchalance and lack of empathy by those elected to represent the interest of Nigerians. This action is grossly unacceptable to us. We demand that the National Assembly calls off this recess and resumes plenary immediately”.
The group said the safety and security of Nigerian citizens especially women and children should be the top priority of government, but lamented that it was the reverse.
The group said, “The safety and security of Nigerian citizens, especially women and children, which should be the top priority of the government, has been rigorously threatened for years and has now come to a climax where citizens are being kidnapped from their homes in broad daylight. Nigerians have felt the brunt of this crisis and have had to crowdfund ransoms payable to criminals. Despite this, victims of kidnappings are still being murdered by criminals, leaving the nation in a dire state of distress”.
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