Adeze Ojukwu

It would be puerile to insist that Federal Government cannot end religious violence in Nigeria.

Hence, the resonant voices, over this administration’s failure, to tackle religious violations, terrorism and Fulani herdsmen attacks on farmers, will not cease, until this unprecedented massacre, across the country, particularly, in the Middle Belt and northern states, is halted.

Despite the plethora of untenable excuses, advanced by proponents of this philistine and murderous propensity, every credible leader has the onerous responsibility to uphold the sanctity of life, security, justice and equity, as enshrined in the constitution and United Nations(UN) Human Rights Charter.

The basic tenets of freedom, stipulated in the1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR), harped on “the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.”

These freedoms are sacrosanct and clearly captured in Article 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the document.

“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.”

“All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”

It is, therefore, both shameful and ironic, that Nigeria, a signatory to these sacred global principles, has brazenly embraced religious laws, that violate these international ideals.

The bloodletting is comparable to the Greek concept of hubris, capable of consuming these vampires and their societies.

It would be a disservice to the nation and the north, not to abolish religious violence and other anachronistic peculiarities associated with the region.

•Ojukwu, is an award winning journalist, publisher and fellow of USA-sponsored Hubert H Humphrey Fellowship, under the Fulbright Scholarship. She wrote this tribute in honour of late Deborah Samuel and other victims of religious extremism in Nigeria and the world. The publication is, part of her contributions to the global campaign against religious violence and terrorism. Please kindly send feedback to adeze.ojukwu@gmail.com

https://devcomradar.org/deborah-samuel-fg-can-end-religious-violenc/

Related tags : #JusticeforDeborah #DeborahSamuel #Buhari #Sharia #Blasphemy #Nigeriamuslimterrorists#DeborahSamuel #MuslimTerrorists #Devcomradar.org #AdezeOjukwu#SokotoPost navigation