The National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) has condemned a recent incident in Ihwakar Kumekor Dam in the Konshisha council area of Benue, where a 70-year-old man was buried alive.

This is contained in a statement issued by the NSCC’s spokesman, Omini Oden, in Abuja.

Emem Omokaro, NSCC director-general, said the act was alleged to have been carried out by some suspected youths in the Mbatue ward of the council area.

Ms Omokaro described the act as abominable and a height of human rights violation that must not be allowed to go unpunished.

He, however, commended the Nigeria Police and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters for the timely intervention, which saw the immediate arrest of the suspects.

Ms Omokaro, therefore, assured Nigerians that the centre would continue to defend the rights and privileges of older persons in line with its mandate.

“The National Senior Citizens Centre Anti Elder Abuse Community Response Mechanism is working in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission, the Legal Aids Council of Nigeria and NAPTIP to stem the abuse and violence against older persons, as well as provide access to justice,” she said.

Therefore, she appealed to the public to use the following NAPTIP toll-free lines (07030000203, 080-CALLNAPTIP and for MTN, 627 and *627#) to report cases of abuse or violence against older persons in Nigeria.

(NAN)