Zabarmari killing: Security chiefs ‘have failed’… there must be consequences

Concerned Nigerians, a civil society organisation, has condemned the killings in Zabarmari, Borno state, and called for sanctions against security chiefs.

The group’s position was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, and signed on its behalf by Jibrin Ibrahim, a lawyer, and Olisa Agbakoba, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

More than 40 farmers were killed in Zabarmari on November 28, 2020, in an attack which Boko Haram has claimed credit for.

Buhari had described the killing as “senseless”, while the United Nations said it was the worst attack targeted as civilians in 2020.

According to the group, the Zabarmari killing is a “red line”, and the government must ensure that there are more deliberate efforts to ensure security of Nigerians.

“In spite of numerous calls on the President to sack his Service Chiefs, the President has persisted in his policy of guarantying them longevity in their positions. His message to Nigerians appears to be that he is not ready to sanction his Security Chiefs for failure. The President must therefore take responsibility for the failure as the Commander- in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” the statement reads.

“The security chiefs in the country have collectively failed to provide security for Nigerians and there must be consequences for this failure and in any case their tenure has expired;

“Having carefully observed and followed these unfolding events, the Zabarmari gruesome killings must be a redline for the country. The time for action is now. There is urgent need to halt our descent into further deterioration of the system as the political space is heating up.”

The group also suggested steps for the federal and state governments to take in order to effectively address insecurity in the country.

“The National Assembly Should during the engagement with the Office of the President, ensure that the Office takes decisive action to improve the security situation in the country as stipulated by our Grand Norm. In consonance with the widely accepted notion of devolution, the National Assembly should enact laws to facilitate State Governments take more responsibility for their security as they face increased insecurity,” the group said.

“Civil society groups and communities must come out and clearly show their legitimate concerns at mounting insecurity and make it clear that they are unwilling to continue to accept the current collapse of public safety.

“State governments and community leaders should quickly put in place legitimate mechanisms to for better protection of their people against mass violence, banditry, kidnapping and other crimes.

“The President and the Presidency should demonstrate real leadership in the crisis we face as a nation with the President showing empathy and compassion, using power of his voice to calm nerves; and urging all who speak for government to show sensibility to the feelings of the people and not denigrate as criminals’ objective critics of existential problems we all face.”

While urging the federal government to “unfreeze all accounts and free all persons detained on account of organising the EndSARS protest”, the group noted that anyone found “to have a case to answer for any crime” should be charged to court.

“The Federal Government should stop all acts evidencing dissonance in government, labelling innocent and legitimate activity as criminal, ridiculing government by misrepresenting facts, and labelling the reportage of facts as fake news,” it added.