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CSOs lament increased killings in Rivers

Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt

A non-governmental organisation, the We The People in conjunction with Rivers State Civil Society Organisation (RIVCSO) has expressed worries over the recent killings in Rivers State.

The groups which spoke during a press conference on Monday in Port Harcourt, lamented that over 40 persons were extra judicially killed across the state in the month of April.

They urged the government, the Police and other security agencies in the state to be proactive in tackling the issue of insecurity and bringing to an end incessant killings of innocent citizens in the state.

Speaking at the briefing, Executive Director of We The People, Mr. Ken Henshaw, said the violence and atrocities experienced in the state was becoming worrisome to the people, hence the government and security authorities need to be proactive in ensuring that state is safe again.

He noted that the glory of Rivers state is gradually fading out as a result of the continuous record of criminal activities, added that instead of protecting the masses, the security agencies channeled their duties on protection of the wealthy individuals in the society at the mass killing of the less influential in the society.

Said he, “We are witnessing an alarming increase killings in Rivers state. As a people centred organisation, in the early parts of this year, we became concerned by this emerging scenario and decided to initiate a process of documenting these cases.

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“This report shows that the wave of extra judicial killings in Rivers state reached frightening levels in the month of April.

“In the month of April 2019, We the People tracked and documented sixteen cases of extra judicial murders. Of those, two were perpetrated by state actors. In all, forty-six killings were documented.

“With this modest effort, We the People reinforces the demand for the government to perform its constitutional duty of securing the lives of Nigerians, a job it was woefully failed at so far.”

Henshaw further demanded, “That the police should immediately develop a register of all citizens killed in atrocities circumstances and commence investigations into their death.

“A process should be initiated to prosecute all politicians who were indicted in the use of thugs and gang members in the last elections.”

Also speaking, the Coordinator of Rivers State Civil Society Organisation, Mr. Enefaa Georgewill, urged the state government and security agencies to employ the use of civil technology in tackling crime and criminality in the state, adding that security operatives should secure the populace in the state and not individuals.

Enefaa advised the government to create more job opportunities for the youths to reduce criminal activities in the state.

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