The National Union of Ogoni Students (NUOS USA) based in the United States has called on the Nigerian Government to take urgent steps in addressing the ongoing violence in Ogoniland, a region in Rivers state, Nigeria. The group expressed concern over the government’s lack of action towards the violence that has been ongoing since 2015.
NUOS USA detailed numerous instances of violence over the years, expressing shock at the lack of government intervention, and the absence of definitive investigations or punishment for the actors involved in these incidents.
Highlighting a few of the many incidents, the group recounted an attempted assassination on Daewifa Victor Barima Wifa, an American Ogoni, on January 4, 2022, in Kono, Khana Local Government Area (LGA). Following his escape, he was detained after reporting the incident to the local police.
They also spoke of the assassination of Dr. Lucky Kina, an Opthalmologist and philanthropist, in his native community, Kpean, on November 24, 2018. They mentioned multiple other instances of violence, including the deaths of Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, a lecturer, Sorle Deekae, an activist and retired Army Staff Sergeant, and Friday Dugbor, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
The student union stated that the violence and lack of civil rights crackdowns have significantly impacted the mental health of the Ogoni people and have led to an internal refugee crisis.
NUOS USA firmly believes that the Nigerian government can’t claim ignorance of these incidents and their effects. The group demands a comprehensive investigation to uncover the causes, key actors, and potential sponsors of the violence that has enveloped Ogoniland.
SOURCE: Vanguard
IMAGE: FACEBOOK: @NATIONAL UNION OF OGONI STUDENTS – NUOS NATIONAL SECRETARIAT WORLDWIDE
