How Soldiers, Policemen, Nigerians died unnoticed amid COVID-19 – Report
As attention has shifted globally to COVID- 19, due to the way it transmits and for the fact that over 3 million people have contracted the deadly virus, other incidences have gone unnoticed all over the world, Nigeria inclusive.
A human rights monitoring group, Nigeria Mourns, has revealed in their monthly email update that over 353 Nigerians lost their lives in one case or the other in the year 2020. The group stated that while much attention have been shifted to the coronavirus pandemic, incidences like Boko Haram/banditry attacks, kidnapping and other forms of violent mass killings occured on a high in the month of March.
In the statement released by the group on Monday, extrajudicial killings from security personnel also added to the number of casualties in the month of March.
“The numbers in the month of March continue to highlight the deliberate targeting of security officers by insurgents. For instance, at least 83 persons were killed in 7 insurgent attacks in the North-East.
“Of the stated number, at least 50 were soldiers who had been killed in an ambush by suspected Boko Haram gunmen near Goneri, a village in Yobe State. ISWAP insurgents also killed 5 police officers in Dapchi, Yobe State.”
The group further explained that 29 people,
members of a joint security patrol team, were killed in an attack that was executed by armed men around Galkogo Forest, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Also the group noted that at least 70 soldiers were killed when rocket-propelled grenades were fired on their convoy, as they travelled near Gorgi village in Borno State.
“In this single month, a total of 161 security persons were killed,” the group said.
In another development, the group explained that 51 people were killed and millions of Naira worth of property destroyed in a coordinated pillage of five villages – Hashimawa, Marina, Kerawa, Unguwan Musa and Zariyawa, in Kaduna State.
The group tallied the number of deaths for the month of March to 219 people at least, with 27 incidents of bandit attacks/pillage.
The group highlighted abduction and attacks on several highways contributed to the number of deaths in the country in the month of March even though several highway security checkpoints spreads across the country. In total, the group states that about 37 incidents were recorded in March with four persons killed.
The group added that extrajudicial killings accounts for seven Nigerian lives in the month of March as 2 of the incidents were attributed to stray bullets.
