In attendance at the event, which was actually the public launch of interim report on ‘Mapping Armed Violence in Nigeria’ South West Zone, was Mr. Frank Odita (CP Rtd.). Odita is the chairman of the launch. He is also a former Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command and currently, Chairman, Francom Ltd., Public Relations and Security Consultants, Lagos. Also in attendance was the ‘Area F’ Commander, Mr. Adagunduro Tunde, representing the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Prince Umar Manko.
Others in attendance are; the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey, the National Cordinator, National Working Group on Armed Violence, Mimidoo Achakpa, among others. In his welcome address, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma, South-West Cordinator, NWGAV, explained that Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), the umbrella he falls under, coordinated the mapping in the three Southwest states of Lagos, Ogun and Osun for the working group which culminated in the interim report, which was launched that fateful day of June 20, 2013, at the Lagos Travel Inn, Ikeja.
Further explaining about NWGAV, Nwanguma said: “The National Working Group on Armed Violence, founded in 2011, is a network of Nigerian civil society organisations committed to disarmament and armed violence prevention and reduction. It has representatives from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, and is coordinated nationally by Women’s Right to Education Programme (WREP), based in the FCT, Abuja. “Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) is a UK-based charity that works to reduce the incidence of armed violence and its impact on vulnerable populations around the world. AOAV has a successful track record in developing international law, global civil society networks, and local programmes for weapon control, armed violence reduction and civilian protection.”
According to him, the interim report was the outcome of mapping of 457 organizations and 495 projects working against armed violence in Nigeria. The mapping was the preliminary phase of a bigger project aimed at contributing to the reduction and prevention of armed violence in Nigeria. The project was an intervention in the escalating violence in Nigeria and its harmful consequences on human rights, democracy and development. “Fourteen years after the end of military rule in Nigeria, armed violence has continued to escalate rather than abate. Each of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones – South South, South East, South West, North Central, North West and North East – faces different types of violence and insecurity,” noted Nwanguma.
He continued: “In the South South, which includes the Niger Delta States, the security situation is grim. It is dominated by the presence of armed groups, organised violence and criminality. An amnesty implemented in 2009, which offered money to all militants who surrendered their weapons, reduced the number of attacks, but victims and their families were left without reparations or compensation. “Kidnappings for ransom and piracy off the coast of Nigeria continue to contribute to a climate of insecurity in the South East, the Niger Delta and the south western region, and have most recently spread to the northern states.
“In the North East, the number of attacks and bombings by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihadl, commonly called Boko Haram, and other groups have increased sharply since 2010. Violence between Boko Haram and Government forces continues to escalate. “Inter-communal violence also ravages the country, especially in Nigeria’s Middle-belt region. Disproportionate use of force by government authorities in response to outbreaks of violence has been reported all over the country.”
Nwanguma said that countless responses to curb violence were underway throughout Nigeria, including the deployment of government security forces, informal mediation by traditional and religious leaders, grassroots-level early warning systems and NGO education and advocacy work Yet, because of Nigeria’s sheer size, its large population and a chronic scarcity of data, these efforts are poorly understood. Little is known about the existing actors and their interventions against armed violence throughout the country’s 36 states. To tackle armed violence in Nigeria, however, it is crucial to have a clear picture of the actors and practices currently in operation in this area.
Revealing the efforts made by NWGAV so far in tackling armed violence, Nwanguma said: “ The mapping was done by the Nigeria Working Group on Armed Violence and Action on Armed Violence to get a better idea of “who does what” in the prevention and reduction of armed violence in Nigeria and to identify the legislation under which they operate. The report provides an overview of the data collected during the mapping. “Building on this data, an assessment of the effectiveness of key organizations and projects to respond to violence, and the impact of the organizations mapped will also be conducted and presented in a final report. “This work aims to contribute to a fuller understanding of current efforts to combat armed violence in order to support better coordination among those involved in reducing armed violence in Nigeria.”
Nwanguma remarked that violence naturally affects everyone, adding that security was every ones business. “This gives us all equal stakes and imposes degrees of responsibility on us all to direct our utmost efforts towards ensuring the reduction and prevention of violence in our immediate localities and larger society. This interim report provides some insight into the nature and manifestations of armed violence in different parts of Nigeria; who is doing what, and the imperative of enhanced and collaborative efforts towards the prevention and reduction of armed violence,” he said.
“It is our hope that you will find time to study this interim report and that you will find it a useful tip, a wakeup call, a boost to our commitment and a guide to our future efforts. We eagerly expect- and will happily welcome- your feedbacks which we believe will be useful in enriching the final report that will follow soon.” Buttressing Nwanguman’s points, Achakpa said that while a fuller report was expected soonest, it is hoped that the final report, would help in policy making decisions, especially since NWGAV was working in collaboration with other ECOWAS countries. Reacting on the interim report, Worrey who opined that the country lacked the institutional capacity and moral ability to deal with crime added that he prays that the report would reach the right authourity and influence policy making decisions.
Speaking on youth’s culpability in armed violence in the country, Frank Odita said: “Youths are available tools to be used by anyone who wants to cause trouble. Youths make up more than 60 percent of Nigerians. Security is what we all required. Nobody wants to romance violence. We want to discuss how to get violence off our country and welcome love and peace. Don’t look at the situation as difficult. We should see ourselves as agents of change. We’re making progress!”
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