The growing culture of violence

SIR: The rate at which violence has been wickedly unleashed on Nigerians by fellow citizens in various parts of the country in recent months calls for great concern. Perhaps, the long-standing culture of impunity has contributed to the violent attacks by terrorist groups, militants, vigilance groups, aggrieved individuals, law enforcement agents and others. The types of violence that are becoming more prominent could be categorised into domestic, terror-related, vigilance/mob violence, as well as violence by law enforcement agents.

At the moment, there are several on-going cases of domestic violence as wife battering, husband battering, child abuse, rape and other criminal activities that may never be brought to the law courts for judicial procedures.

The recent extra-judicial killing of four students of University of Port Harcourt in Aluu community of Rivers State and the stoning to death of a 72-year-old woman in Ekiti State for allegedly practising witchcraft that affected her grand-child could be grouped under vigilance/mob violence. There is also a growing trend of mob assaulting people and stripping them naked or killing over allegations of stealing mere mobile phones, yams and other items of far less value when compared to life.

According to the Human Rights Watch, about 2,800 lives were lost to terror-related violence between 2009 and 2012. Within the first nine months in 2012, 815 people were killed in 275 suspected attacks by the Boko Haram group and this represents more than the total number of deaths recorded between 2010 and 2011 combined. The organisation in its report stated that 211 police officers were killed while over 60 police stations in at least 10 northern and central states were attacked by the terrorist group apart from the police headquarters that was bombed in Abuja.

The record of extra-judicial killings by police officers has dropped drastically since the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, assumed office. However, cases of brutality, intimidation, victimisation and forceful extortion are still being reported. “Violence is the single biggest public health problem we have in Nigeria today”, states Professor Chidi Odinkalu, chairman, Nigerian Human Rights Commission. It is time for the Federal Executive Council, the National Assembly and the Judiciary to collectively recognise the existing violence culture as a failure of political leadership.

The growth of the violence culture has been powered by the non-implementation of the nation’s existing laws and the absence of the required protective mechanisms in the country’s justice system. To curb the growing culture of violence in Nigeria, the National Orientation Agency and the various religious organisations need to intensify efforts towards a general re-orientation and restoration of value for lives of fellow citizens. The Legislature, Executive and Judiciary should take urgent and decisive steps by providing schemes such as witness protection scheme, victims’ protection scheme, defence protection scheme and other protective measures for volunteers of vital security information.

Above all, each case of violence should be properly investigated and suspects prosecuted while those found guilty should be seen to be punished. This could serve as a deterrent to potential offenders.

Albinus Chiedu,

Lagos.