Insurgency: Women lawyers demand more from FG, say women worst hit

THE International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has charged President Goodluck Jonathan to deploy all energies to halt the activities of insurgents in the country, saying women were the worst hit by the killings and kidnapping by the insurgents. Chairperson of FIDA in Ekiti State, Mrs Rita Ilevbare, who gave the charge while addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, said “the killing and maiming of innocent Nigerians through the activities of the militants have brought unprecedented sorrow to many women.” Ilevbare decried the rising wave of bomb explosion in the Northern zone in recent time despite the declaration of emergency by President Jonathan in three states in the Northern part of the country. She pointed out that the increased level of widowhood among women, owing to seemingly unabated terror attacks, would further erode the country’s family values, except concerted steps are taken to forestall the persistent carnage under the guise of terrorism. Ilevbare said: “Women and children are always at the receiving end of any war and the one being experienced under Boko Haram insurgents cannot be an exemption. This is simply because women have nowhere to run to. They would have to wait behind and defend their families, particularly their children even under a tensed situation. “We are mostly pissed off by the increasing level of bombing despite the emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. The heavy presence of military personnel has not changed anything and this is not good for the system. “The recent deaths in series of bombings in Kaduna affected mostly women while the one in Kano, Adamawa and Borno had been frightening and making the future of this country looks hopeless. “With all these happenings, the Federal Government must change tactics on how to curtail these evil doers to prevent further wailing and debasement of motherhood because this country is greater than any individual or group,” she advised. Ilevbare also appealed to the men folk not to see the agitations for the recovery of the 238 Chibok girls as women affairs, saying all Nigerians would have to consistently advocate for the release of the seized girls to bring happiness to all mothers across the globe.