Northern Elders, Afenifere, Ndigbo, PANDEF Allege Govt Complicity In Nationwide Killings

Leaders of notable socio-political organizations in Nigeria have accused the federal government of complicity in the continuous massacre of innocent citizens across the country.

The groups, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF; Afenifere; Ohaeneze Ndigbo and Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF knocked President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for failing on the issue of security in country which was one of the three pillars of its change agenda.

The leaders, in a communiqué jointly signed after a summit yesterday in Abuja said various infractions being experienced in the country are “steadily eroding public confidence in our hard-earned democracy”.

The communiqué reads, “The summit observes as follows: that the general state of insecurity and incessant killings in Nigeria have escalated in recent times with several communities at the mercy of marauding killers.

“The present administration had identified security as one of the three pillars of its change agenda. However, the country’s entire security and law and order assets appear incapable of arresting the drift towards a state of anarchy.

“Summit, therefore, observes with regret the negation of this administration’s commitment and undertaking to provide security to all Nigerians.

“That the country now witnesses unprecedented incompetence and enthronement of mediocrity in dealing with the horrendous spate of killings and general insecurity across the country.

“That in the eyes of many affected communities, there appears to be palpable government complicity in the killings going on around the country. These killings claimed more than 3,500 lives in 2017, a figure that could be much higher in 2018.”

The leaders stressed that the nation’s economy was characterized by “significant loss of output, massive youth unemployment, a rising level of poverty, instability, and irregular migration of skilled and unskilled labour.

“In fact, according to the World Bank, the unemployment rate in Nigeria has increased despite its purported exit from recession in 2017.

“This is a national embarrassment and a disgrace to a country that is endowed with abundant resources”.