Plateau NBA branches condemn killings, blame government - The Guardian Nigeria News

The four branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Plateau State have postulated that Nigeria cannot continue on the dangerous path where the value for human life is cheapened and citizens live in constant fear of terror under a government and its officials who have sworn to protect them.

They also maintained that the recurring nature of the attacks raise serious constitutional and governance concerns particularly regarding th protection of the right to life.

The NBA branches in a joint press conference yesterday on “The State of Insecurity In The State” held at the Nigerian Union of Journalsts (NUJ) Plateau State Council in Jos, postulated that every Nigerian, regardless of status, ethnicity, religion or location has an inviolable life to right and security.

Chairman, NBA Jos Branch, Morgan Dung, who read the joint address, argued that when the rights mentioned are not guaranteed, then public confidence erodes, national cohesion weakens and the rule of law is undermined.

Dung said that every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life except in the execution of a court order in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty.

According to him, it therefore suffices to say that the protection of lives and property is the fundamental responsibility of government, adding that the NBA frowns at the inability of government to prevent the continuous loss of lives and property in Nigeria, particularly in Plateau State.

The NBA branches in the state condemns in the strongest terms the gruesome and sustained attacks carried out on citizens on a daily basis across Plateau with the most recent occurring in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bokkos local government councils which they said have left in its trail undesirable results.

“This painfully confirms the fact that there is an insufficient commitment to constitutional responsibility. The unabated circle of violence unleashed on law-abiding citizens denigrate social contract and undermine public confidence in the state.

“It is equally disturbing that in the wake of recent attacks and an imposition of curfew in the areas mentioned above, terrorists disrespected the curfew and freely attacked communities obeying the order.

“While communities are encouraged to be vigilant and complement efforts of the security agencies, some community vigilantes of Kikyau village in Mangu local government were killed at their duty post by terrorists during the said curfew hours,” Dung stressed.

He argued that the circle of bloodletting perpetrated by the non-state actors paint a troubling picture of impurity on the one part and a seeming complicity or helplessness of the state on the other.

They called on President Bola Tinubu that the armed forces and the Para-military should be adequately motivated, well equipped, patriotic and disciplined across all formations and cadre to neutralize the worrisome allegations against them of bias and in the course of discharging their duties.