A public interest and human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has narrated how his father narrowly escaped being killed during a religious crisis in the northern part of Nigeria.

This is even as he lamented that religious fanaticism has plagued the country for too long because evil minded, uncaring, corrupt, compromised, fanatical, horrible and incompetent individuals were occupying leadership positions over the years.

The lawyer said his father fled from the north, abandoned everything he had worked for and returned to Akwa Ibom State before joining the Nigerian Customs Service as an officer.

His statement is coming on the heels of recurring violence and killings in Plateau State.

In a post on his X handle on Thursday, Effiong said it is shameful that the Nigerian government has continued to be irresponsible by failing in its primary responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of Nigerians.

He maintained that no man should be allowed to take up arms to fight for a god or get away with murder or arson in the name of religion.

“I am not sure if I have ever shared this publicly before. My father used to live and work in Maiduguri where he worked with the Borno State-owned broadcast corporation for a number of years.

“However, his sojourn in the North ended abruptly and unfortunately when he narrowly escaped being killed during a religious conflagration.

“That was how my father fled from the North, abandoned everything he had worked for and returned to Akwa Ibom State and joined the Nigerian Customs Service as an officer.

“This tragic event happened decades ago.

“Religious fanaticism has plagued this country for too long because we have had evil minded, uncaring, corrupt, compromised, fanatical, horrible and incompetent individuals occupying leadership positions over the years.

“Growing up with the awareness of how the religious crisis adversely affected my father contributed to my critical disposition towards religion.

“No man should be allowed to take up arms to fight for a god or God. No one should be allowed to get away with murder or arson in the name of religion.

“It is a shame that the Nigerian Government has continued to be irresponsible by failing in its primary responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of Nigerians.

“My heart bleeds for the victims of the ongoing carnage in Plateau State,” he wrote.