Insecurity: Over 76,000 deaths reported in 10 years, says Fayemi

Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state, says over 76,000 people have been reported dead across the country in 10 years, as a result of insecurity.

Fayemi spoke on Thursday at the launch of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) in Abuja.

The governor, who doubles as the chairman of the NGF, said the spate of violence and coordinated criminal activities have undermined government authority, which has led public trust to wane in recent times.

He blamed the current security crisis in the country on several factors, including an oversized population “that the government is unable to cope with”, noting that the figure includes “a large number of poor people estimated at over 40 percent of the population who are living below $1 per day”.

The Ekiti governor also cited another cause of insecurity as desertification, which he said “has affected over 60 percent of Nigeria’s land, as drought and climate change have continued to aggravate land deterioration in the country”.

He also noted that the situation is further worsened by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

“Between May 2011 and February 2021, over 76,000 deaths were reported,” Fayemi said.

“This number also includes persons who have been killed by a state actor.

“In addition to the proliferation of arms is an undertone of rising ethnic conflict, with different ethnic groups subsumed in conflicts and pitched against one another.”

Asishana Okauru, NGF’s director-general, explained that the launch of PISI forges a significant step in the life of the forum as “we strive to build a nation where safety of lives and property is guaranteed”.

“The Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative is a consequence of our determination to contribute to the conversation on inclusive security, and add the leverage of the sub-nationals to the efforts to secure the lives and property of our countrymen and women,” Okauru said.

“With the support of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), we have been able to set up the Peace and Security Desk at the NGF to help in driving the dialogue around keeping the country safe and bringing all state and non-state actors together around one table to frame a sustainable resolution to the series of security challenges confronting our national experiment.

“I can assure you of the commitment of states not only to the objectives of the PIS initiative, but to sustainable peace in the country.”

Meanwhile, theCable had reported that 3,326 Nigerians were said to have been killed as a result of insecurity in 2020 — an average of nine persons on a daily basis.