- Atiku Says Abductions Of Students, Teachers, IDPs Proof Of Failure In Governance
- FG Has Failed Woefully To Give The People Basic Things Expected Of A Responsive Government
- Obi Reveals How Farmers Pay Bandits N100k For Permission To Farm Or Risk Being Attacked
The rising insecurity in Nigeria has drawn the condemnations of presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party’s counterpart, Peter Obi, in the 2023 General Election.
The two presidential candidates decried the continuous terrorist activities in Nigeria, stressing that the country is losing its economic life to insecurity and a failure of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) led-government to ensure the security of lives.
The Matrix reports that suspected armed herdsmen on Thursday evening, attacked Wandor, Mbaikyor community in the Mbalom Council Ward of Gwer East Local Government Area, LGA of Benue State, killing a retired army officer, and 15 others.
The invaders also razed over 50 houses, huts, farmlands and food barns in 11 settlements in the attack.
This attack is coming on the heels of other attacks earlier this week where on no fewer than 5 Benue State communities where more than fifty people were killed
Earlier, 287 students were abducted after bandits attacked the Government Secondary School in Kuriga, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, on Thursday.
In the same vein, several people were abducted in a fresh attack by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State when the insurgents struck three Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Ngala tow, the headquarters of Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area at the border of Cameroon where the terrorists are most active.
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Reacting to these developments, Atiku and Obi said its worrisome that terrorists’ activities now occur on a daily basis in Nigeria.
The former vice president said the insecurity in the country is getting worse by the day.
He accused the Tinubu-led government of failing to ensure the security of lives.
Atiku said, “The media has been awash with terrifying news of banditry, kidnapping, and bloodletting that has turned our country into perhaps one of the most terrorized territories on earth.
“Within one week, there have been many reported cases of mass abduction of hapless citizens in the Northwest and Northeast regions of our country.
“The cases are endless, and the problem seems interminable. The APC-controlled government has failed woefully to give the people the basic things expected of a responsive government.
“It is a clear manifestation of the failure of governance. The government has continued to play the ostrich while the nation is plagued by insecurity.
“While the weak and vulnerable are neglected, the government is making empty rhetoric about reforms.
“And while our young men are abducted, killed, or conscripted into the army of the terrorists and our women and girls are ravished and subjected to different forms of gender-based violence, the authorities do nothing.
“This is in negation of the constitutionally guaranteed commitment that the security and welfare of citizens are the primary responsibility of government.”
Atiku urged security agencies to rise up to the challenge and save innocent citizens from the horrors of banditry and terrorism.
On his part, Obi while posting on his X platform wrote: “Once again, Nigerians are besieged by reports of terror attacks in different parts of the country.
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“While about 50 persons, including a family of seven, were reportedly killed in a militia gang war in the Ukum area of Benue State, over 100 internally displaced persons, mostly women, were reported to have been abducted by terrorists in Borno State.
“Aside from the sad and painful loss of precious human lives to these terror attacks, our dear nation has continued to lose its economic and social life to insecurity.
“More worrisome is that these attacks now occur almost daily. We must not allow our dear nation to continue this dangerous slide into anarchy. I was equally shocked to read that farmers in Northern Nigeria now pay bandits up to N100,000 for permission to farm or risk being attacked.”
