Women, under the umbrella of Northern Women Peace Forum, have cried out to the Nigerian government to find a lasting solution to the wave of violence and insecurity ravaging the northern part of the country.
Addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend; the National Secretary of the Women Peace Forum, Yahaya Amina Goya, said as mothers, wives and daughters; the women were tired of the situation in the North and were begging the government to restore peace in the zone.
The group lamented how their once peaceful North had in the last 10 years become the enclave of two of the world’s deadliest terrorist organizations; including Boko Haram.
“We have lost lives over violent conflicts to Boko Haram, women have become widows and hundreds of children have turned orphans.
“We have lost friends and family members. We have lost people we don’t know but we still feel their pains”, she said.
The women group expressed serious concern over the devastating impact of the criminal activities such as kidnapping, banditry all of which have impacted negatively on the economic activities in the North and by extension the rest of the country.
The group further noted the impact on food security in the country; especially with new threats from bandits forcefully demanding harvest levies from farmers in parts of the North.
The women condemned the violence that accompanied the recent #EndSARS protest in major cities across the country; calling on the youths to find better ways of channeling their grievances.
The association, however, said it would continue to mobilize women to promote peace for National development
According to the National Coordinator, Hajia Binta Kuraye; such initiative, including welfare for women and children, will go a long way to curb violence in the country.
The Northern Women Peace Forum consists of women from all the 19 States in the North and a membership that cuts across of Nigeria multi-ethnic diversity.
