An International Human Rights Protection Service (IHPS), has condemned the killings of over 300 people, mostly children and women in Benue State, North Central Nigeria by suspected Fulani herders in the past one month.
The Rights group described the carnage as barbaric, horrible, unacceptable and dehumanizing affront to the armless citizens of Nigeria.
The Nigeria’s Chapter President, Amb. (Barrister) Jacob Udobang made the condemnation known in a statement he issued on social media page in Uyo on Friday, Akwa Ibom State capital stating that, the attacks allegedly orchestrated by the Fulani herders is “offensively intolarable and dehumanizing to human rights community in Nigeria.
According to the statement, “the barbaric killings in Benue state is offensively intolerable and a dehumanizing affront to human rights in Nigeria.
‘We join our collective voices with His Holiness, Pope Leo IV, and His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu in condemning the horrendous and dehumanizing attacks on lives and properties of some communities in Benue State, leading to the death of over 300 innocent people including women and children”.
He applauded the immediate steps taken by President Tinubu in paying condolence visit to the victims in Benue State, and for ordering the arrest and prosecution of suspects of the heinous crime by the law enforcement agencies in the State.
The human rights lawyer also noted with concern that, the barbaric killing of human beings in a manner such as had happened under a democratic government, as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and International instruments on human rights is not acceptable by the human rights community around the world.
Barrister Udobang, however urged the Nigerian government to take the rights of its citizens seriously by providing adequate protection of human rights, and to provide compensation to the victims of human rights violations.
Barrister Udobang’s zero tolerance efforts against human rights abuses have recorded some successes in the past few years.
Among such efforts included; rights violation cases on the displacement of land owners from communities in Mkpat Enin Local Government by Akwa Ibom State government for the establishment of Coconut plantation since 2016; non payment of severance benefits to the sacked workers by ExxonMobil in 2013 and sexual abuse of minors by a personnel of NAPTIP in Uyo Zonal office amongst others.
He called on the federal government to also go after sponsors of the dastardly act against humanity in Benue State.
