#WeAreTired: Buhari, IGP keep mum as anger sweeps across Nigeria over ‘senseless killings’ in Southern Kaduna, Lagos, Edo
Over the past month, a wave of anger and repulsion has been sweeping across Nigeria in response to the several cases of rape, killings by security operatives and attacks on communities by bandits, but the government’s silence has been deafening.
The horrific killings have continued to prompt series of social media hashtags to demand for justice, call on government to take decisive action in protecting citizens, and also protest against the horrendous acts.
Emotions ran high on social media last month as hashtags like #KajuruKillings, #JusticeForJennifer, #JusticeForTina, #JusticeForRijin, #JusticeForUwa, #JusticeForLeo, #WeAreTired dominated discourse on Twitter and other platforms. All the topics are related to killings of innocent people by criminals and security operatives who are either still at large or yet to be prosecuted. This has forced thousands of Nigerians and celebrities like Tiwa Savage, Don Jazzy, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Kate Henshaw among many others to lead online protests to demand for justice.
Nigerian with placards with inscriptions like “Stop Raping us”, “Say no to rape”, “Don’t be a rape apologist”, have been leading online protests to demand justice for rape victims like Uwaila Omozuwa and Jennifer (an 18-year-old girl, reportedly raped in Kaduna State by five boys said to be her friends)
A Twitter user with the handle @Rene_noire tweeted “I am not angry, I’m sad. Anger has gotten us nowhere. We are asking that you stop raping us, we are not yours to do as you wish. We are humans and just want to live without fear .Is that too much to ask? STOP RAPING US”.
Bello Shagari, son of former President Shehu Shagari, who also joined the online protest said police brutality is not about status in the society as he has also been a victim.
“People don’t really know, but no one is immune of police brutality. I was a victim not long ago to the extent of being hospitalized but it is a story for another day,” Shagari tweeted. “The police have been empowered with too much authority that is hardly checked and often abused. #WeAreTired”
“I’m tired of a system that makes me feel I need to learn a trade even after my bachelor’s degree, a system that makes it look like a necessity to travel out even to places I don’t feel safe, just to secure a future for myself and my children. It’s exhausting #WeAreTired,” a Twitter user, Oyebode Victor lamented.
Hauwa Ojeifo tweeted “Wake up! Have we started yet? #WeAreTired In the past 12 hours, I’ve heard that “the hijab is sexy”, “you’re not wearing the right hijab”, “if it’s the type in your DP you were raped in, I can see your curves”, “you people don’t wear pant under it”. I’m STILL NOT COVERED ENOUGH!”
As anger continues to spread, it appears President Muhammadu Buhari who has been incommunicado since his last statewide broadcast on April 27, 2020 where he annouced the easing of COVID-19 lockdown, is unbothered by the outcry. His last public appearance was on Sunday May 21 when he attended Eid-el-Fitr prayer at the Aso Rock.
As of Monday June 1, neither the president nor his handlers, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and service chiefs have come out to address the killings fuelling rage across the nation.
The people of Kajuru Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, in Kaduna State have been living in palpable tension following several reports of killings and attacks on the predominantly Christian community by suspected herdsmen.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and its National Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf, on May 13, said 17 people were hacked to death in their sleep by heavily armed herdsmen in farming community of Gonar Rogo in Kajuru around 12 am on May 12, 2020.
“We are disturbed because there is said to be a military checkpoint not far away from the attacked community yet the killer herdsmen had enough time to carry out their dastardly act with no resistance from the security,” HURIWA said as it called on the “Federal and Kaduna state government to stop the killings by the herdsmen or risk having the country destroyed by their activities”.
The Kaduna State Police Command, in a statement by its spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige, confirmed the attack but put the number of casualties at 15. He also repeated the same clichéd rhetoric in his statement, “perpetrators will be arrested” and brought to book, which does not sound assuring again as it has been over used with no tangible result after police and government officials issue similar statements in the past.
The State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, looks helpless, the renewed cases of killings under him proves so. Last Thursday, his wife Hadiza also called the bluff of critics attacking her for celebrating 80,000 Twitter followers without addressing the killings going on under her husband’s watch as the Chief Security Officer of the state.
“Did any of you see “First Lady” in my bio?” She asked her critics. “My TL (timeline) is for language, humour and other light-hearted issues. I don’t tweet about serious matters like governance and politics.”
Hadiza who is also the convener of Kaduna Book Festival added: “Though I’m married to a governor, I’m not a part of government. I swore no oath.”
The family of 20-year-old Bala Rijin in Jos, Plateau State are still hoping to get justice after the undergraduate was gruesomely murdered by operatives of Operation Safe Haven in Jos on Tuesday May 12.
In Lagos, the wound of the hearbreaking loss of 16-year-old Tina Ezekwe killed by a police officer enforcing lockdown order in Iyana-Oworo area last Tuesday is still very fresh for her family. Although the state police command said two officers have been arrested in connection with the Tina’s death, citizens have expressed lack of confidence in the Police Force to prosecute the case like many others in the past involving men in uniform.
In April, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said security operatives enforcing lockdown orders have killed more people than COVID-19. While families of the victims continue to mourn their loved ones, the killers are yet to be prosecuted.
Report of a survey released in February 2020 by NOIPolls revealed that 77 percent of Nigerians believe police brutality is prevalent in the country and 34 percent cited ‘poor police welfare’ as the major cause of police brutality on citizens. Yet the government looks not to be taking any serious action to address the issue.
While anger over death of Tina which prompted the hashtag #JusticeForTina is yet to subside, on Sunday, Nigerians woke to another horrific news of Uwaila Omozuwa who died in Edo State three days after she was raped, hit on the head with a fire extinguisher and left for dead inside a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ikpoba hills, Benin.
Again, Edo Police spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, told Neusroom on Sunday afternoon, that they are ‘investigating’ and said “unfortunately, no eyewitness has come forward to provide us with information on the incident”.
The death of Rijin, Uwaila and Tina are just three of the dozens of reported cases of extrajudicial killings and criminal acts growing worse across the nation weekly. It becomes worse if the perpetrators are men in uniform, after the initial statement from the authorities relieving them of their duties, their prosecution drags for years in the court and hardly see the light of the day.
Singer Folarin Falana aka Falz in a series of tweets has called on citizens to be fearless and take to the streets for peaceful protests to challenge the government on the increasing killings that appear to be going unchecked.
“It is important that we are fearless and we are ready to challenge the government through peaceful protests. It’s not enough to sit in our houses and post on socials. Justice must be served,” the singer tweeted.
“It’s so exhausting to see injustice continue to thrive time after time. Every time we say NOT AGAIN, and then there is a new story. Enough is enough. It’s too disheartening. Justice must be served for the innocent souls we keep on losing.”
