The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the UN Security Council and its members to declare herdsmen attacks across the country as acts of terrorism.
In a statement signed by its Deputy Director, Timothy Adewale on Sunday, the group said it wrote the UN, urging them to: “Urgently hold a special session on Nigeria and to visit the country to press the authorities to end continuing killings and destruction of property by suspected herdsmen across Nigeria, particularly in the North-Central of the country.”
In the letter dated March 16, 2018 SERAP expressed, “serious concern that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is failing to uphold its responsibility to protect the citizens”.
According to the group, if not urgently combatted, such attacks may rise to the level of threat to international peace and security.
It also highlighted that the first ‘purpose’ listed for the UN is to maintain international peace and security, therefore, they “must act now to protect Nigerians, including women and children, if the Council is not to be accused of failing the people of Nigeria.”
“The Security Council and its members should adopt a resolution to: Characterise killings by herdsmen as terrorist acts and mobilize international support for Nigeria to combat these attacks, including for the authorities to adopt and implement measures to tackle the causes and consequences of these attacks and end all forms of terrorism in the country.”
“The resolution should also call on the UN Secretary-General to carry out a joint visit to Nigeria with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and the African Union Peace and Security Council to investigate allegations of killings by herdsmen and to better understand the root causes of these killings and put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to end them,” SERAP said.
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