Abuja, 31 March, 2023 / 9:50 pm (ACI Africa).
Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI) of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has appealed to the newly elected Nigerian government to act first to stem what the charity research foundation describes as a new tide of violence in the West African country.
In a report shared with ACI Africa on Friday, March 31, DHPI Director, Johan Viljoen, notes that Nigeria is witnessing a rise in attacks following the February 25 presidential elections as well as the March 18 State elections.
“This week saw an increase in violence perpetrated after the recent elections, both national and gubernatorial across the different states,” Mr. Viljoen says in an update on what DHPI has previously described as “a gathering storm” in Nigeria.
He adds, “There needs to be a concerted effort by the federal government to counteract these acts of violence… State governments, and the soon to be constituted central government by President Elect Bola Tinubu must act fast to stem this new tide of violence.”
Even without the new tide of attacks, Nigeria is already struggling with rolling violence from Fulani herdsmen and other militant Islamic forces, Mr. Viljoen says.
