Prof Chidi Odinkalu
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that 58 persons have died in election violence across the country between December 3, 2014 and January 31.
According to the commission’s 80-page pre-election report and advisory on violence in Nigeria’s 2015 general elections, which was presented on Friday in Abuja, these deaths occurred in pre-election violence in 22 states of Nigeria’s 36.
The report is titled, “A Pre-Election Report And Advisory On Violence In Nigeria’s 2015 General
Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, chairman of the Commission’s governing council, who spoke during the presentation in Abuja, highlighted the said, ‘They (the 58 victims) did not just die, they were killed.”
Prof. Bem Angwe, executive secretary of the commission, in his remarks, said the report, is an advisory to the people, government and key political actors in the country.
According to him, it is part of itsresponsibilities in protecting the rights of Nigerians.
From the report, Lagos with 11 incidents that occasioned 22 deaths topped the list of states with the most devastating record of election-related violence within the period surveyed.
Kaduna State followed suit with three incidents resulting in nine deaths. Gombe State recorded three incidents resulting in five deaths; Taraba State, one incident, four deaths; Ogun State, two incidents, four deaths; Bayelsa State, one incident, three deaths; Akwa Ibom State, two incidents, three deaths; and Kano State, two incidents, two deaths.
The report further showed that the South-West recorded the highest number of 28 deaths resulting from election-related violence within the same period, followed by North-West, with 11 deaths; North-East, nine deaths; South-South, eight deaths; and South-East, two deaths.
However, no zone was free from the pre- election violence as the report said thousands were injured across all the six geo-political zones within the period.
Odinkalu, reading form the report’s forward, said, “On March 28 and April 11 2015, Nigeria will, for the 5th time in 16 years and only the 8th time since Independence in 1960, undertake perhaps the closest and most competitive election in its 54-year history.
Addressed to Nigeria’s leaders, politicians, communities, citizens, and friends, this report and advisory explains why the country must turn the page on a long history and worsening history of election violence. To continue on that trajectory, this report demonstrates, would seriously endanger not just Nigeria or the human rights of its citizens but the peace and security of an entire region whose stability and fate is tied inextricably with that of Nigeria.”
He urged Nigerians to encourage the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,Professor Attahiru Jega, and his team to do a good job.
The commission’s chairman said that the NHRC was working to broker a meeting between President Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari as well as the chairmen of APC and PDP.
According to him, the commission is working on getting President Jonathan and Buhari to issue a joint statement on peace for their followers to see them as brothers
Odinkalu said he would not want to see any Nigerian leader dragged before the International Criminal Court,ICC like it has happened to Charles Taylor and others, adding that the commissioned needed the support of Nigerians to ensure success against violence and hate speech.
