Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives, a human rights organization, on Tuesday, urged governments at all levels to put in place non-violent methods for resolving the prevailing security challenges in the best interest of every Nigerian.
Louisa Eikhomun, founder of the group gave the charge at a rally to mark the annual United Nations International Day of Peace in Benin City with the theme, “Recovery better for an equitable and sustainable world”.
The founder said this year’s peace day provides an opportunity to create awareness on the ideals of peace, show solidarity with victims of violence, especially women and children, as well as displaced families across the country.
Eikhomun, while condemning the incessant violent attacks on Nigerians, appealed to the government and other institutionalized protection agencies to step up their game to boost security and prosecute perpetrators and sponsors of conflicts in Nigeria.
“Nigerians are now living in fear in their homes, on the road, at places of work, businesses, in their farms and in worship centers. It has affected development, impacted negatively on men and worse on women and children.
“Following the 2020 Niger Delta dialogue report on ‘Insecurity in Edo State: issues, actors and solutions’, Edo was captured as having the following major security threats: cultism, herdsmen attacks, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, land grabbing, human trafficking, rape and cybercrimes.
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“Some of these threats have increased since 2020, especially kidnapping for ransom that has seen government officials, religious and political leaders, commuters, students, farmers, traders being kidnapped on a daily basis with huge sums of ransom paid thereby depleting household income and make people poorer,” Eikhomun said.
“As the world heals from COVID-19, we are enmeshed in dire violent attacks, making citizens feel unsafe in Edo and Nigeria in general, and it contravenes the ideals of peace”, she added.
She pointed out that even in the aftermath of violent conflicts, victims still struggle to sustain their livelihoods and rebuild their communities.
Eikhomun, therefore, called on traditional, political and religious leaders and individuals to commit to work for a more peaceful society.
