A disability rights advocacy group, “Joshua K B Disabilities Rights and Support Initiatives”, has called on the Federal Government to carry out a thorough investigation and prosecution of individuals allegedly involved in the sponsorship of terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes in Nigeria.
In a statement issued by the Executive Secretary of the organisation, Joshua Kingsley Benneth, in Abuja
says accountability is critical to ending insecurity and restoring public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.
The statement stresses that thousands of Nigerians have been killed, displaced, or permanently disabled as a result of insurgency and banditry, describing the situation as a major policy and governance failure.
According to the statement the organisation anchored its call on recent revelations by retired Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi, a former head of the covert Presidential Task Force on Counter-Terrorism, Operation Service Wide, under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the statement ignoring the allegations would promote a culture of impunity and undermine the Federal Government’s renewed push against terrorism and violent crimes.
It urges the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to demonstrate political will by instituting a transparent and independent inquiry into the allegations.
The statement emphasizes that decisive action would reassure Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by insecurity, while also sending a strong message to the international community on Nigeria’s commitment to combating terrorism.
It cites official data indicating that as of June 2021, over seven thousand soldiers and personnel of other security agencies had been wounded in counter-insurgency operations, while a Nigerian Army report from November 2020 showed that more than seven hundred soldiers had undergone amputations due to injuries sustained in the fight against Boko Haram.
It notes that with the conflict still ongoing, the number of civilians and security personnel living with permanent disabilities is likely far higher.
The statement while commending President Tinubu for recent security sector decisions, including strategic defence-related appointments, cautioned against complacency, stressing that failure to prosecute those found culpable—regardless of status—will reinforce public perception that some individuals are above the law.
It also expresses concern over increasing petitions by Nigerians to foreign governments, describing it as a reflection of declining confidence in domestic accountability mechanisms.
According to the statement a transparent investigation could help dismantle terror networks, restore investor and citizen confidence, strengthen national security policy, and support economic recovery.
The statement further urges the Federal Government to implement policies aimed at reducing insecurity-induced disabilities, while expanding support systems for persons with disabilities across the country.
