THE National Human Rights Commission has expressed concern over alleged incessant killings by suspected herdsmen, urging the Federal Government to act now.
NHRC’s Acting Executive Secretary Mrs. Oti Ovrawah said the “time has come for the government and security agencies to ensure effective protection of lives and properties of defenceless Nigerians, who have been victims of incessant attacks by suspected herdsmen in the country”.
NHRC Spokesperson Mrs. Fatimah Agwai Mohammad said in a statement yesterday that Mrs. Ovrawah spoke in reaction to the reported killings in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country by suspected herdsmen.
She argued that the increasing frequency of such attacks “now makes it imperative, more than ever before, for the government and the security agencies to act fast to put a stop to these callous acts”.
Mrs. Ovrawah, who urged security agencies to be more proactive and committed in the discharge of their duties in containing these attacks, said there was an urgent need to prioritise preventive measures as a way of reducing the attacks.
She stated that the NHRC was partnering with other stakeholders to work out ways of addressing the problem, having received complaints from communities on alleged attacks by herdsmen.
Mrs. Ovrawah regretted that the attacks have caused thousands of deaths and countless cases of displacements.
She said conflicts were usually fuelled by human rights abuses and suggested the promotion of peace-building among communities as a way out.
Mrs. Ovrawah advised communities to embrace the age-long beneficial relationship of peaceful coexistence and to desist from taking arms against themselves.