A group, State of Emergency GBV Movement, condemned the killing of Harira Jibril and her four children in Anambra State and subsequently called for justice.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, and made available to The PUNCH, the group noted that killing had become an absurd routine in the country, adding that it was appalling that such criminalities were operated freely in the open.
The statement partly read, “In what has become an absurd routine, the nation, yet again, witnessed the gruesome killing in cold blood, of Harira Jibril, a 32-year-old pregnant woman, and her four children; Fatima, Khadijah, Hadiza, and Zaituna, who were nine, seven, five and two years old respectively, allegedly by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra on Sunday, May 22, 2022.
“This is barely two weeks after Deborah Yakubu was allegedly hacked to death by her fellow students at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State.
“The State of Emergency GBV Movement is appalled by the continued acts of reckless killings across the country. We are more worried that groups of outlaws operate so freely without any effective security measures to protect the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians and bring the perpetrators of violence to book. How has society degenerated into a state of wanton killing of an unborn baby, infants, and their innocent mother?
“We have equally observed that these killers have targeted women and children, from Deborah to Harira and her infants. Nigeria is continually failing to protect its most vulnerable demography, which is tragic. No one should feel unsafe to live or walk free in any part of this country, no matter their gender, tribe, belief or social class.”
The group added that “It is worrisome, the normalisation of these attacks, given their frequency. Where is the outrage? How do we move on after our fellow citizens are murdered, in this case, a pregnant woman and her children? Nigeria is unsafe, North, South, East, and West, and we will continue to witness unbridled criminality and loss of lives engineered by outlaw groups who have elected to plunge the nation into anarchy unless the government takes a break from electioneering and takes decisive action. We call on well-meaning Nigerians to raise their voices in condemnation of the atrocities of these groups.
“The SoEGBV Movement demands urgent actions by the security agencies and government officials to apprehend the criminals responsible for the death of Harira and her kids. These deaths further damage our already fragile national faultline, and if nothing is done to arrest and punish the perpetrators, it will only fuel cycle of violence.”
The group noted that the Federal Government must proactively and commensurately tackle criminal and terrorist groups to halt their activities and keep all Nigerians safe.
“We demand that security agencies scale up their responsibilities and become more proactive in their duties. The failure of our security system contributes to the needless loss of lives and properties. Those behind the untimely death of Harira, Fatima, Khadijah, Hadiza, Zaituna, and the unborn child must not go unpunished,” it concluded.
The statement was undersigned by the group’s member organisations; Invictus Africa, TechHerNG, Yiaga Africa, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, Connected Development (CODE), Stand To End Rape Initiative, YouthHubAfrica, Education as a Vaccine, Enough is Enough, Nigeria, and SilverChipFox Consulting Services.
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