The People’s Democratic Party has condemned the alleged abduction and killing of about 18 security operatives by bandits in Kaduna State.
The PDP urged President Muhammadu to end what it described his lethargic response to the troubling security situation and embark on decisive measures to stop terrorism in the country.
The opposition party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the worrisome acts of terrorism are being escalated by incessant attacks on security operatives.
He lamented that the abduction of 18 policemen by bandits in Kaduna State only showed the failure of the President to carry out an effective coordinated action against terrorism.
The PDP called on the President to heed to the call of Nigerians to rejig the command structure of the military to give a bite to the fight against terrorism in the country.
He said, “Our party, as the voice of the people, tasks President Buhari to show concern to the plight of Nigerians who are being ravaged by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and vandals whose activities have been emboldened by the indolent and languid attitude of his administration, including its recent dismissive statement to Nigerians to “wait on God” for solution.
“President Buhari should listen to Nigerians and rejig his command structure, which has become so weak that officials now rationalize acts of terrorism to the extent of blaming victims, as was the case in the 43 farmers recently beheaded by terrorists in Borno state.
“The situation has become so bad that it took Chadian President Idris Derby to personally lead his troops into our territories to rout out insurgents and free Nigerian communities and our soldiers held captive by terrorists.
“It is indeed unfortunate that despite the manifest security lapses, Mr. President has refused to respect the consensus by Nigerians across board, as validated by the two chambers of the National Assembly to rejig his security architecture, by replacing his service chiefs with more competent hands.” He said
The party called on the President to wake up to the sensitive responsibility of the duties of his office in the interest of Nigerians who are the victims of the heinous acts of terrorism in the country.
Ologbondiyan said that Nigerians have become despondent as a fallout of the failure of the President to provide leadership in the country.
The PDP Spokesman said that the party’s support was with the security agencies in this very trying period and urged them not to relent in their responsibilities to the country.
He called on Nigerians to be on the alert and to provide useful information to the security agencies to aid the prosecution of the campaign against criminality in the country.