The Global Rights, an international human rights organisation, has disclosed that at least 4,556 persons died in “mass atrocities” in Nigeria in the year 2020,and this information was contained in a release by the group on Monday,
Penpushing reports that, the organization said the figure represents an increase of 1,368, a “glaring spike of almost 43 per cent” in the number of casualties compared to the 3,188 recorded in 2019, attributing the deaths to “violent attacks, clashes, terrorism, kidnappings, and extrajudicial killings”
The report covering the period under review stated that Nigeria “continued to battle with multiple forms of organised crimes manifested in a clime of insecurity” in addition to “endemic poverty, a floundering economy, mass unemployment, and the fresh layer of crisis coronaviruss pandemic
“Our tracking for the year informs that 4,556 lives were lost on the altar of mass violence and killings for #2020 grossly eclipsing 3188 deaths reported in 2019. These aren’t just numbers, they are people/citizen’s whose government has utterly failed to protect and serve,”
Penpushing also reports that, Executive Director Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu while giving summary charged the government to strengthen Nigeria’s state institutions and governance structures, ensure equality before the law, respect the rule of law, end impunity, protect civic right and freedom, and invest in human capital development.
The orgainsation, explained that, of the 4,556 deaths, 3,858 were said to be civilians, while 698 were state security agents, adding that, North-west recorded the highest number of casualties in 2020 (at least 1527), closely followed by the North-East (at least 1508). Kaduna state recorded the highest casualties in 2020 in the North-west, revealing that, “for the second year running, for every 5.5 deaths recorded, at least one of them was of a security officer,”
Penpushing reports that, the group said, in terms of the North-south divide, “the highest number of deaths were reported in the northern region of the country with a cumulative of at least 3,720 killings while the southern region recorded at least 828 killings.”
The organization added that, Borno State in the North-east, remained the state with the highest number of fatalities closely followed by Kaduna State, in the North-West, informing that Gombe State in the North was with the lowest number of fatalities “with one (1) victim.”
Penpushing further reports that, Global Rights said Borno in the North-west is the worst hit, emphasizing that, three of the five states on top of the chart are in the North West while only is in the North-central,stating that the first five worst hit states are Borno with 1,176 deaths, Kaduna, 628; Katsina, 501, Zamfara, 262; and Niger 254.
The report attributed the number of deaths in Borno to the insurgency that has been going on there and neighbouring states in the last 10 years,adding that the deaths in Kaduna were “largely due to attacks on communities in Southern Kaduna, which resulted in the deaths of at least 628 persons.”
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