Chief Justice of Nigeria,CJN, Mariam Aloma-Muhktar, on Monday warned that the degree of political and religious violence in the country poses a huge threat to its stability.
In a keynote address in Abuja at the opening of the 2013 Workshop on Refugee Law for Judges and Kadis organised by the National Judicial Institute,NJI, the CJN called for humanitarian action on the part of all Nigerians.
According to her, internal displacement in Nigeria which was an uncommon phenomenon in the past, is now caused by diverse inter-communal, political and religious violence, forced evictions and recent flooding.
She said it was important for everyone “to bear in mind that all these pose great challenges and call for humanitarian action on the part of all and sundry and attending to humanitarian needs is not a cheap venture.”
“While it is imperative to address the needs and welfare of these vulnerable groups, my view is that it is better to avoid, as much as possible, those situations and circumstances that precipitate internal displacement and refugee crisis.
“This is an area where the political class must be up and doing and I hold the view that good governance, respect for the fundamental rights of the citizenry as stipulated in the Constitution and strict obedience to the rule of law will promote peace rather than internal displacement and refugee crisis,” the CJN added.
In his welcome speech, the administrator of the institute, Justice Umaru Eri ,rtd, noted that terrorism was on the increase and it had culminated into loss of lives and property.
He added that natural disasters such as flood have compounded the crisis around the nation which has led to increase in the number of internally displaced persons.
Justice Eri however commended the Federal Government for ratifying the basic international instruments on the protection of refugees at the international and regional levels.
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