Prioritize compensation families affected by terrorism, Group urges Tinubu

A ground under the auspices of Initiative For Social Rights Concerns And Advancement (ISRCA) AKA “No Justice, No Peace”today urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently prioritize compensating families affected by terrorism in the Northern and Middle Belt regions. 

ISRCA National Coordinator, Comrade(Amb) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen made the call in a statement sent to Our Correspondent in Warri. 

The group said,"The logic behind reintegrating over 700 terrorists into Nigerian society with financial compensation or empowerment schemes appears to be a misallocation of priorities".

According to the group,"While it has been a known fact that Northern elites have always sought opportunities to manipulate and replicate the Niger Delta militancy scheme over the years, which resulted in massive terrørist activities just to compel the Federal Government of Nigeria to acquiesce to this agenda, it becomes pertinent to differentiate the Niger Delta agitations, which were correctly spelled out, that yielded the amnesty program, and the organized crime and màssácres of Christians in Northern Nigeria today.

"It is perplexing to observe public funds being allocated to support individuals accountable for the demise of numerous innocent civilians, whilst ordinary Nigerians displaced from the Northern regions continue to face difficulties without sufficient aid. 

"These individuals had previously terrørized communities, subjected innocent people to brútalitý, demolished homes, displaced families, and claimed numerous lives, yet now they are described as “repentant” and prepared for reintegration without being held accountable for their actions.

"At times, it even appears that more attention and resources are directed toward these individuals than toward citizens who have done nothing wrong, considering the message it sends to the younger generation, with the wrong incentives it is creating in the region."

The group further said that,"The Federal Government of Nigeria through President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should revisit its policies to ensure equity and fairness for families affected by terrørism, providing due compensation to those who have lost their primary means of livelihood, particularly impoverished households considering the huge allocation budgeted for security monthly that cannot be properly accounted for. 

"Based on documented records of fatàlitieś and impacted families, the federal government can establish a comprehensive plan to offer reparations to victims and displaced families."