The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Amnesty International of stoking internal internal conflicts in developing countries including Nigeria to achieve its sinister objectives.
Amnesty International recently accused President Bola Tinubu of dereliction of duty following the resurgence in violent killings in Benue, Niger, Plateau and Zamfara states.
TheHintsNews reports that gunmen on Sunday night killed at least 23 people in separate attacks in Jos; while in Benue state, one person was reportedly killed and several houses burnt on Tuesday in a renewed fight between the Mbasombo and Mbaivur communities of Ikpayongo in the Gwer East local government area of the state.
Similarly, terrorists on Monday killed a medical doctor and abducted 10 people including members of the slain doctor’s family in an attack on Jangebe community, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State; while terrorists also went on the rampage in communities in the Rafi local government area of Niger State, killing not less than 38 villagers and kidnapping scores of others within two days.
But, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka in a statement issued Wednesday said that it was uncharitable and inconsiderate for Amnesty International to accuse Tinubu of dereliction of duty.
The ruling party recalled that the President had stated clearly that security would be the topmost priority of his administration and he promised to reform the nation’s security doctrine and architecture.
Morka said: “It is therefore uncharitable and inconsiderate of Amnesty International through its Acting Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi, to accuse the new government that is just settling down of dereliction of duty.
“Amnesty International is known for stoking internal conflict and citizen antagonism in developing nations through weaponisation and accentuation of local situations to achieve its sinister objectives while hypocritically looking the other way when similar incidents occur in developed nations, especially in the Western world.”
While commending Amnesty International for drawing attention to the lingering security challenges in the country especially in Plateau, Kaduna, Benue and Zamfara, Morka insisted that its conclusion hasty and inconsiderate.
He said by the end of May 2023, almost 20,000 people have died cumulatively as a result of gun violence and other violent crimes in America.
“That mass shootings and gun violence have become an epidemic in the US does not make the American government a failure in protecting its people or make mass shootings a ‘norm’ in the country. Every government is daily devising means and ways to tackle rapidly changing security problems,” he said.
Morka stressed that in the United Kingdom, there is growing and daily menace of knife crimes, saying in 2022 alone, UK police recorded 49,265 offences involving knives and other sharp instruments and 46,334 in 2021.
He said in the first 150 days of 2023, America has recorded 263 mass shootings, with hundreds of deaths yet Amnesty International has not been on the mountain top to accuse the US government of dereliction of duty.
He added that in Nottingham, a mass shooting in the city centre claimed three victims, yet, Amnesty International has not accused the UK government of failure to protect her citizens.
Morka noted: “The isolated cases of shooting that are now several decades old in our country, will need methodical and strategic thinking to ensure normalcy.
“No organisation should gloat over these unfortunate incidents. It’s too early for such an unsympathetic reaction.
“The ruling party said Amnesty International and its affiliates are advised to give the young government some time to work things out, in consonance with its pledge to the people, rather than rushing out with its jaded diatribe against the Nigerian government and its security authorities.”
The ruling party noted that many nations in the world, including the United States of America is today bedevilled by insecurity.
