Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, and Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi has expressed that over 76,000 people have been reported dead across the country in 10 years, as a result of insecurity.
Fayemi spoke on Thursday at the launch of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) in Abuja.
Fayemi stated that the spate of violence and coordinated criminal activities have undermined government authority, which has led public trust to wane in recent times.
He blamed the current security crisis in the country on several factors, including an oversized population “that the government is unable to cope with.”
He noted that the figure includes “a large number of poor people estimated at over 40 percent of the population who are living below $1 per day”.
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Fayemi also cited desertification, which he said “has affected over 60 percent of Nigeria’s land, as drought and climate change have continued to aggravate land deterioration in the country,” as another cause of insecurity.
He also noted that the situation is further worsened by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
“Between May 2011 and February 2021, over 76,000 deaths were reported,” Fayemi said.
“This number also includes persons who have been killed by a state actor.
“In addition to the proliferation of arms is an undertone of rising ethnic conflict, with different ethnic groups subsumed in conflicts and pitched against one another.”