Nigeria’s Pre-Election Violence Rooted In Political Intolerance

Elombah.com

23 March 2011

Nigeria’s Pre-Election Violence Rooted In Political Intolerance

May Have  Led To The Loss Of About 100 Lives Since July 2010

A Public Statement By International Society For Civil Liberties And The Rule Of Law (Nigeria)     23-03-2011 

Written by Emeka Umeagbalasi   

As the all-important April general elections draw near, it may be correct to say that about, if not over 100 Nigerian citizens were killed and over 300 injured in pre-election related violence since July 2010. July 2010 was the peak of the pre-election activities in Nigeria as a result of the INEC’s earlier schedule to hold elections in December 2010 and January 2011 respectively. Strictly speaking, these deaths did not include deaths arising from sectarian killings that rocked different parts of the so-called Northern Nigeria in recent times. An internationally respected human rights watchdog, the Amnesty International believes that between July 2010 and middle of March 2011, “at least, 50 people have been killed in election-related violence in Nigeria.” But further findings by our leadership show that between 15th and 22nd March 2011, more than 30 persons have been killed in different parts of the country. In the locally and internationally image-barren 2007 general elections, “at least, 300 people were killed” (Human Rights Watch).

Some of these killings are as follows...