The Ethics Resource Centre Nigeria and Coordinating Agency for Health Sector Security Project has condemned the spate of killings, maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals in the country.
Mr Ike Onyechere, Chairman of the centre, decried the attacks in a statement made available on Monday in Abuja.
Quoting from the 2018 UN report in Abuja on Children and Armed Conflicts, Onyechere said that the rise in killings was worrisome and improper.
He noted that the level of killings, maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals across the country were higher in 2018 compared to previous years.
The chairman emphasised that schools and hospitals have become the targets of choice of arm bandits, adding that such act is unacceptable.
He lamented the growing number of children, teachers and health workers, among others, that have lost their lives as a result of this menace.
Onyechere, who described the menace as inimical to national development, urged perpetrators of such act to stop henceforth to ensure the security of lives and property.
He said that the increase killings and attacks would negatively affect the nation’s economy.
He, however, said that the agency was committed to curb the menace in the country.
According to him, the agency will hold Healthcare Security Leadership Conference on Aug. 29 and 31 in Enugu, to help curb the menace.
“The conference will assist healthcare leaders and other stakeholders to deconstruct and understand the nature of contemporary health sector security risks, threats and vulnerabilities in a complex security environment.
“The conference will as well outline new leadership imperatives for development and installation of effective precautionary, preventive and mitigation best practices, protocols and measures,’’ he said.
Onyechere said the conference would attract WHO, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Health Ministries and Teaching Hospitals, among other stakeholders. (NAN)