THE federal government of Nigeria and the 36 states have resolved to reconstruct homes and pay compensations for property and livelihoods targeted during the recent spate of violence across the country.
This was part of a 12-point resolution made Thursday during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided by Yemi Osinbajo, vice president of Nigeria.
According to a State House statement released after the NEC meeting, all perpetrators of crime across the country were to be immediately arrested and prosecuted.
Apart from compensating victims of the violence, the NEC said it would also ensure that deceased victims of such violence were duly accorded burial rites.
The council made recommitments to immediately issue public and unequivocal condemnation on all manifestations of hatred, targeted violence, and other hate crimes against ethnic, religious, and minority groups.
On local security initiatives, the council resolved that due consideration be given to adequate representation of non-indigenous or minority resident communities.
Read also:
- Nigeria secures additional $1bn for agro-processing in 24 states
- We won’t force states to join Open Government Partnership – FG
Other commitments of the council included ensuring that innocent citizens and entire communities were not slandered, harassed or victimised for the crimes perpetrated by criminal elements within those communities on the basis of ethnic or religious affiliation as well as employing the National Livestock Transformation Plan to address farmers-herders conflicts across the country.
On the jurisdiction of forest reserves, the NEC resolved that state governments had statutory jurisdiction over them and would seek federal support for efforts to eradicate forest-based crime.
The resolution was a result of the recent spate of violence across the country, from banditry in Zamfara State to kidnapping of schoolboys in Kangara, Niger State and Fulani-herders clashes in Oyo and Ogun states.
While some governors have made controversial statements that received critical responses from Nigerians, some stakeholders, including Abdulsalam Abubakar, a former military head of state, have warned state governors to guide their ulterances in order to douse the tension in the country.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94