By Becky Usman

A total of 848 Nigerians have tragically lost their lives due to extrajudicial violence within the country over the past three years.

During the first half of the current year, more than 127 Nigerians fell victim to extrajudicial killings across the nation.

These distressing statistics were compiled in the mass atrocity tracker by the International Civil Society Organization, Global Rights.

Released on a Friday, the report underscores the prevailing climate of fear among many Nigerians, primarily resulting from incidents of brutality perpetrated by law enforcement agencies.

It partly read, “In the meantime, Nigerians continue to live in fear of law enforcement brutality – agents employed with their tax monies to protect them. Global Rights mass atrocities tracker reveals that between 2020 and the first half of 2023, at least 848 lives were tragically lost to extrajudicial violence. Of particular concern is that during the first half of 2023 alone, at least 127 people were victims of extrajudicial killings.

‘These statistics underscore the urgency of addressing this atrocious issue.”

The report warned that failure to address the issue of extrajudicial killings in the country could lead to violence and distrust.

“Impunity only leads to further impunity. Accountability is the only antidote to ending the cycle of atrocities and keeps both government and the governed securely within the contractual boundaries of the constitution. Failure to act on the atrocities of the past will
only lead to an ever-enlarging cycle of violence and distrust. When trust dies, a nation ends.

“The right to dissent in governance is a right that cannot be taken away from citizens in a democracy. Peaceful protests and demonstrations are established tools of democratic
expression backed by both domestic and international laws and have proven time and again to be critical catalysts for social change,” the report added.