CSOs demand arrest and prosecution of 2015 electoral violence offenders

A coalition of civil society groups have raised the alarm about the stock pilling of weapons and the rising tension leading up to the 2019 election in the Niger Delta region, Bayelsa in particular.

The groups said this in a press conference at Lagos Airport Hotel jointly addressed by Bayo Obatughase, deputy national president, Campaign for Democracy, Ologun Ayodeji of the Coalition Against Electoral Violence, and Isaac Atani of the Save Bayelsa/Save Niger Delta Group.

The coalition lamented that nearly three years after submission of a report on electoral violence to the relevant authorities, none of them, including INEC, the federal government, the Bayelsa state government and other relevant security agencies have taken it upon itself to act on the report, which detailed the atrocities and extreme right violations, witnessed during the election.

The report, according to the statement captured audio and visual recordings and testimonies of the victims of the violence that marred the conduct of election in Southern Ijaw local government and some other parts of the State, during the election.

“We witnessed a situation where harmless citizens were molested, attacked and harassed with a lot of complicity on the part of those, who ordinarily are supposed to protect them,” they said.

“As this crucial election gets closer, we have found it extremely imperative to inform Nigerians and the international community, about the likelihood of violence in some parts of the country, if the necessary checks are not undertaken by the Federal government and various authorities across our land.

“This clarion call becomes inevitable at this point, as we have come to the realization, that elections should no longer be seen as wars and that whosoever engage in the destruction of properties and lives of our people, during the election period, is made to bear the consequences of his or her actions.”

They stated that they saw burnt down houses, cars and other properties as well palpable terror of victims, who are unable to return to their communities just for the fear of being attacked.

“The report captured testimonies of the victims and pictures of over 5 casualties including a baby that was killed during the period.

“These actors are once again preparing for a repeat and the only way to checkmate it, is by prosecuting the perpetrators of the previous action.”