Presidency condemns UN report on violence in Nigeria

The report by UN rapporteur, Agnes Callarmard, on violence in Nigeria is the outcome of her 12-day visit to Nigeria.

Callamard said that Nigeria is replete with internal conflicts and generalized violence that must be addressed urgently.

“The overall situation that I encountered in Nigeria gives rise to extreme concern with issues like poverty and climate change adding to the crisis.”

She pointed out that if ignored, the ripple effects of unaccountability on such a large scale, had the potential to destabilize the sub-region if not the whole continent.

“Nigeria is confronting nationwide, regional and global pressures, such as population explosion, an increased number of people living in absolute poverty, climate change and desertification, and increasing proliferation of weapons,” she elaborated. “These are re-enforcing localized systems and country-wide patterns of violence, many of which are seemingly spinning out of control”.

Ms. Callamard highlighted many areas of concern, including armed conflict against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the northeast; insecurity and violence in the northwest; the conflict in the central area known as the Middle Belt and parts of the northwest and south, between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farming communities.

She also noted the prevalence of organized gangs or cults in Nigeria’s south; general repression of minority and indigenous groups; killings during evictions in slum areas; and widespread police brutality.

Presidency Reacts

According to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the Presidency said that though it agrees that the violence in Nigeria, or in any country, is a major concern and that there is a ripple effect, it expressed

disappointment that the rapporteur was silent on intra-group violence.

The statement noted that in Benue, Taraba, Cross River States and many parts of the country, most of the casualties result from intra-group, inter-group and community violence.

Many of the displaced persons across the nation are also victims of these conflicts.

“Therefore there is absolutely no doubt that violence between farmers and herders, which has a long history in our country spiked in recent years but the effectiveness with which the Federal and State authorities responded made a big difference.”

“Calm has virtually returned to all parts affected by the peculiar violence.”

The Presidency expressed concern that the rapporteur did not address intra-ethnic conflicts and cattle rustling as key elements in herder/farmer conflicts.

“In Benue State for instance, the Tiv/Jukun conflict and kidnapping is a major problem adding that government is glad that local communities have fully realized this, and scholars with a strong motivation for peace and stability in their communities and the nation are trying to address the problem

“Arrests, prosecution, and locking people up are only small parts of National Security and Safety strategy.”

In Benue State as cited earlier, the work of a US scholar of Tiv extraction, Professor Dick Adzenge, deserves special mention for attempting to get aspects of violence addressed.

The Presidency said that expectation that arresting and putting people in prison is the only credible response to violence is a mistake.

“Professor Adzenge and a few others like him are working with young people, traditional rulers, and communities to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts and encourage peaceful co-existence.”

“The sort of effort that government is talking about here has so far revealed interesting facts about the problem in Benue State that cannot be ignored.”

“And it is the sort of support we seek from the UN rapporteur in reporting, not the report that scratches the surface of the subject then ends up blaming the government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

The statement concluded that the UN representative needs to be truthful and even-handed in her assignment.