Amnesty International strongly condemns the gruesome killing of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumma’a Mosque, Alkali Salihu Suleiman 79, along with his three children — after the bandits received N11m of the N20m ransom they demanded.
The Chief Imam and his three children were abducted by gunmen in during Ramadan fasting in March. While in custody of the bandits they were subjected to almost daily rounds of torture and other ill-treatement. Apart from beatings, they were also made to go long hours without food or water.
The Nigerian authorities consistently failed to protect lives and property, while the killers continue to carry out horrific atrocities that include slaughtering people, abduction, amputation, rape of women and girls and razing of entire villages.
Terrifying attacks on rural communities in the north of Nigeria have been going on for years. The current failure of security forces to take sufficient steps to protect villagers from these predictable attacks is utterly shameful and unacceptable.
Apart from security forces’ failure to heed warnings of impending attacks or respond in time to save lives, the fact that no perpetrators have been brought to justice leaves rural communities feeling completely exposed and helpless.
Almost daily attacks across Zamfara and other states clearly show that President Bola Tinubu and his government have no effective plan for ending years of atrocities by armed groups and gunmen that are increasingly having free reigns of impunity across many parts of Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu promised to tackle insecurity nationwide, but so far, security of lives seems to be low on the list of his government’s priorities.
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