PDP To Buhari: Bandits Are Killing Nigerians With ‘Reckless Abandon’

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, took a dig at the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a “failed” government, as a result of the “incessant killings of vulnerable Nigerians by insurgents and bandits in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Kogi, Taraba and other parts of the country.”

The PDP in a strongly worded statement, also alleged that a situation where bandits and terrorists, “had resurged under the APC, to the extent of occupying territories, ravaging communities and killing our citizens with reckless abandon,” raises a lot of questions.

The statement noted that the insecurity situation in the country has been made worse as the bandits have become emboldened to the extent of holding the President’s home state, Katsina, to ransom.

Furthermore, it accused the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) of importing “mercenaries” into the country in the build up to the 2019 general election, noting that such elements may have now joined the ranks of criminal elements now terrorising the country.

The statement reads: “Our party invites Nigerians to note that the APC has failed to account for the whereabouts of the political ‘mercenaries’ it imported into our country from neighboring countries, particularly from Chad and Niger Republic, to participate in its campaigns during the build-up to the 2019 general elections.

“Nigerians can recall that the PDP had cautioned on the perils of the importation of unscreened aliens by the APC to involve in its presidential election campaign rallies.

“Our party had warned that such elements could be used to unleash acts of violence, including banditry against Nigerians. The  escalation of banditry since the 2019 elections, therefore calls for a deep soul-searching  by the APC and its leaders.

“Moreover, some APC governors are reported to have had contacts, discussions and even negotiations with the bandits: a situation which also demands that the APC and such governors come clean on links with marauders.

“Furthermore, Nigerians have observed the failure of the APC, as a party, to raise a strong voice in giving its government, marching orders against banditry. The APC had not taken any decisive action or proffered any significant suggestion in the effort to secure our nation, beyond lame condolence messages to victims of the attacks.

“The PDP holds that the time has come for the APC to define its stand on the issue of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly the call by well-meaning Nigerians on President Buhari to rejig our nation’s top security architecture and inject new blood into the system.”

The PDP also lamented that the situation where bandits have reportedly taken control of some parts of the country and even grant permission to residents before they can conduct their activities, is “completely inexcusable.”

It also expressed grief at the “horror, anguish, agony, torture and cruelty our compatriots are facing in the hands of bandits, insurgents and kidnappers, following the failure of the APC administration to get its acts together, tighten our security architecture and secure our nation, despite the huge resources it claimed to have spent.”