The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) disclosed that at least 4,556 persons were violently killed and 2,860 kidnapped in 2020 in Nigeria.
The figures, it said, represented an increase of 43 and 100 per cent to those of 2019.
Speaking at a media engagement in Kaduna on Friday, the executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, said: “The Global Rights Nigeria Country office in its Mass Atrocities Casualties Tracking Report revealed that about 4,556 persons died in 2020 from “violent related killings” a number which represents a spike of about 43% from 3188 persons in 2019.
“According to the US-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Nigeria witnessed a total of 2,860 kidnappings in 2020 which was up from 1,386 in 2019 an increase of over 100%. Sadly, this year is on track to reach new heights in violent crime.
“Insecurity and gaps in the law enforcement system are inadvertently interlinked. The criminal justice system plays a crucial role in the maintenance of law and order. The task of the criminal justice system is carried out through the means of detecting, apprehending, prosecuting, adjudicating, and sanctioning both citizens and non-citizens of the state who violate the established laws governing the state or country.”
Continuing, he said, “There is a need to effectively train these officials to meet with current trends in the global fight 21st century crimes. Officers of all spheres of the criminal justice system should be trained regularly on new methods of security, administration etc. to improve competence and keep officers up to date.
“Ideally, these training should not stop at the entry level, but provisions should also be made for continuous training and retraining to keep up with contemporary trends. There is no magic in the world that can be done to ensure optimal performance of the criminal justice officers if the proper equipment is not in place for them to use.
“The maintenance of the vehicles should be a priority for the government. Funds need to be adequately and timely released to maintain the gadgets and vehicles.”
