“We are now in a country where the human life is meaningless and in which Nigerians are being divided across ethnic and sectarian boundaries when people die," Odinkalu lamented.
Emotions were freely betrayed in Abuja on Monday as Nigerians from all walks of life converged on the Unity Fountain to mourn and remember the victims of various violent killings across the country.
Clad in black T-shirts with the inscription #OneDeathTooMany, the mourners held flowers as a sign of honour to the departed, many of them weeping profusely in public.
Members of civil society groups, human rights activists and family members of the victims were in attendance to remember those who have lost their lives in extra- judicial killings, herdsmen, kidnappers and armed robbery attacks.
According to Professor Chidi Odinkalu, the Convener and former Chairman National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the essence of the event is to show solidarity to and console the grieving communities across the country.
“The government is losing territory to armed bandits who are killing Nigerians and the same government who should lead us against these things are now the ones dividing Nigerians,” he said.
“We are now in a country where the human life is meaningless and in which Nigerians are being divided across ethnic and sectarian boundaries when people die. And we want to call attention to the need to return our country to what matters; a sheer humanity and citizenship and that is the only way you can run a united democratic republic.
“If you don't have citizens and you don't honour human life, you cannot have a country.
The human rights activist explained that the crop of politicians in the country are those that don't value human life.”
While ruling out external influence in the carnage, Odinkalu said the biggest conspirators are the politicians, adding that the killings going on in different parts of the country are being masterminded by the elite.
Also speaking at the event, Osai Ojigho, Country Director, Amnesty International, lamented that Nigerians are being faced with the situation where life is becoming cheap.
“The stories we hear from our sisters and brothers from across the country are horrendous; they are frightening,” he said.
“We have to begin to ask ourselves whether human beings are the ones committing these actions. We ask because there is no justice and no one has been held responsible for this violence. Our people continue to cry and wait for the day when they shall be saved. I say today, these killings must stop.”
Also present at the event were former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwezili and renowned musician, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2face, who joined the procession to lay wreaths as a mark of honour for the deceased.
Last week, Global Rights declared May 28 National Day of Mourning and directed all Nigerians to wear black or at least a black armband or black ribbons as a symbol of solidarity, and corporate entities and government agencies to fly their flags half-mast.