Northern elders under the banner, Northern Elders Forum, NEF, have urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the north amid lingering insurgency plaguing the region.
The clarion call was made by NEF and made public via a communique signed by its Spokesperson, Prof Abubakar Jiddere.
In it, the region’s elder expressed deep concern over the spate of violent attacks, abductions and killings in the area, saying the phenomenon has the potential to lead into anarchy and posed a threat to the country’s stability.
The group affirmed that only a declaration of a state of emergency in the region by President Bola Tinubu in line with the constitution and international best practices would save the situation from derailing the country’s democracy and stability.
According to the communique: “Declaring a State of Emergency in Northern Nigeria, acknowledging the extraordinary scale of the crisis.
“Deploying adequately trained, armed, and equipped security forces with clear rules of engagement to protect civilian populations and secure international border regions.
“Provide adequate compensation, rehabilitation, and humanitarian assistance to victims including displaced persons, in line with international humanitarian standards.
“Strengthening border control and regional cooperation with neighbouring states under ECOWAS and the African Union protocols, to stem cross-border incursions by armed criminal groups.
“Engaging international partners, including the African Union, AU, and United Nations, UN, for technical and humanitarian support.”
It reads further: “The NEF observes with deep regret that the state security architecture remains inadequate, overstretched, and in some cases complicit through inaction and silence, leaving citizens vulnerable and helpless while eroding public trust in government institutions.
“Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), states that the inherent right to life shall be protected by law, and no one shall arbitrarily be deprived of life.
“The recurring atrocities in Northern Nigeria constitute serious breaches of these obligations, and in their scale and persistence, will amount to crimes against humanity under international law and humanitarian cases.”
