CSOs mourn victims of violent deaths across Nigeria
Some prominent Civil Society Organizations on Tuesday, May 28 in Abuja mourned and honoured thousands of Nigerians who lost their lives in different violent attacks across the country.
The procession which was tagged, "National Day of Mourning" has been trending on micro-blogging site, Twitter, with the hashtag #NigeriaMourns.
Legit.ng gathered that the event was held nationwide simultaneously in 26 states of the federation.
Thousands of Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory, trooped out to join the march which began at the Unity Fountain.
The protesters gathered at the famous Unity Fountain, Abuja, before proceeding on a walk around the FCT
Source: Facebook
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The protesters wore black t-shirts with inscriptions like #StopTheKillings #EnoughIsEnough #NigerianLivesMatter #NigeriaMourns.
Flowers were also laid in memorial of victims who the organisers say are in their thousands.
The first port of call for the protesters was the ministry of justice, where one of the conveners, Chidi Odinkalu, reeled out names of the victims nationwide.
A protester urging the Nigerian government to end the killings during the procession.
Source: Facebook
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the procession, one of the conveners, Jaiye Gaskiya, said the event is a citizen-led initiative to express solidarity and demand accountability for the security and welfare of all Nigerians.
He lamented that Nigerians are dying on a daily basis, and expressed regret that no name can be placed on those who have lost their lives.
According to him, the procession will rekindle the hope of the families of the victims that they are not alone.
His words: “We are always saying people are dying. Whenever you read newspapers you will see 27 people were killed in a community. These 27 people are human beings and they have names, they have families.
“Our people that we lost every day are not a mere number, they are the people that we know. They are the people who are our neighbors, people who are our colleagues and compatriots.
“We want those who have lost people to violent attacks to know that they are not alone, that the nation is with them.”
On her part, the executive director of Global Rights Nigeria, called on the government to address the insecurity in the country and put an end to the killings nationwide.
She said the procession was a reminder that victims of violence were people whose lives were cut short and for whom Nigerians must seek justice.
The organisers of the procession includes; Global Rights Nigeria, Amnesty International, YIAGA AFRICA, Enough Is Enough Nigeria, Concerned Nigerians Center for Democracy and Development, Say No Campaign, Nigerian Intervention Movement among others.
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Meanwhile, a group, WANEP-Nigeria has called for the strengthening of community policing and inter-agency collaboration to tackle the surge in armed banditry across states in the north-west region of Nigeria.
The recommendation was contained in a statement by the national coordinator, WANEP-Nigeria, Mrs. Bridget Osakwe, made available to Legit.ng on Tuesday, May 21.
WANEP-Nigeria while condemning the attacks, called on the federal government to intensify inter-agency collaboration to enhance synergy between security agencies in Nigeria.
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Source: Legit Newspaper