Human Rights Group Urges Federal Govt To Improve Security Architecture

Human rights organisations, the Centre for Public Accountability, and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations have urged the federal government to intensify efforts to improve Nigeria’s security architecture, using the threat posed by American President Donald Trump as a wake-up call.

The human rights body also called on the United States government to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and work with the country through diplomacy, intelligence-sharing, and development partnerships — not threats of military force.

Briefing the press in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, the spokesperson of the body, Declan Ihekiare, stated that, while it is right that there is insecurity in the country, they reject any attempt to use religion to divide the country, as claimed by the American president that the attack was a genocide on the Christians.

“We reject any foreign threat to our sovereignty. We reject narratives designed to weaken our collective resolve.

“We affirm that Nigeria’s security challenges, though grave, are surmountable, and we remain confident that with sustained reforms, responsible leadership, and strong citizen cooperation, our nation will rise out of this crisis stronger than ever.

“It is therefore unfair, misleading, and politically motivated for anyone — foreign or local — to suggest that the ongoing killings across the country began recently or that they are the result of negligence by the current administration.

“We categorically reject the divisive and inflammatory claim that the insecurity ravaging parts of the country is exclusively targeted at Nigeria’s Christian population. Such narratives are dangerous, simplistic, and deliberately engineered to inflame religious tensions,” the group stated.

The group added that while it acknowledged the progress made so far by the federal  government on confronting insecurity, “we also challenge the Nigerian government to intensify efforts in: identifying, pursuing, and apprehending the masterminds of insecurity — including financiers, informants, collaborators, and foreign enablers.’’

“Conducting thorough investigations into the economic, political, and external interests benefiting from the prolonged insecurity. Strengthening community-based intelligence systems, empowering traditional institutions, and improving local policing frameworks.”