THE SACREDNESS OF HUMAN LIFE IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA: VIOLATIONS AND SOLUTIONS

Abstract

This paper examines the sacredness of life in contemporary Nigeria from the perspectives of its violations and solutions to curb further occurrences. There is an urgent need in Nigeria of today to stop the wanton killings of innocent citizens. Human life which was respected as sacred in our traditional societies have been violated injuriously at the wake of unbridled quest for power, money, fame, and even for most frivolous reasons and least provocations. The findings of this paper reveal, inter alia, that the recent escalations of conflicts by Boko Haram Islamic insurgents, terrorists Fulani herdsmen, armed bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers, suicide executors, cultists, ritualists have contributed to huge losses of human lives. There is gross abuse of the sacredness of human life in contemporary Nigeria. This study proffers solutions which include but not limited to respect for human life which is an inalienable fundamental right of all human beings. The methodology employed in this work is phenomenal-descriptive which means that the ugly events of incessant killings of self or by another in the country were studied and presented with the view to finding lasting remedies to these unfortunate desecrations.