PDP Flays Buhari’s Administration Over Killings, Banditry In Nigeria

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decried the rising wave of killings and banditry in many parts of the country.
In a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman for the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party blamed President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration for failing to contain the mindless killings.
Citing the insecurity expecially in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Kogi, Taraba states, the PDP said the incessant killing of vulnerable Nigerians by insurgents and bandits were unacceptable.
This Day reports that the party said it was greatly hurt by what it described as the horror, anguish, agony, torture and cruelty Nigerians are facing in the hands of bandits, insurgents and kidnappers.
It called on the federal government to rise to the occasion by tightening the security architecture and securing the nation, to justify the huge resources it claimed to have spent on security.
The statement said: “Our party holds that the situation where marauders and insurgents, who had been pushed to the fringes by the PDP administration, 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 PDP further notes that the frightening situation where bandits have reportedly taken control of some parts of our nation and even grant permission and consent to residents before they can conduct weddings, naming ceremonies or operate their markets, is completely inexcusable.
“It is even more lamentable that the bandits had become so emboldened by the failure of the APC administration to the extent of holding Mr. President’s home state, Katsina, to ransom.
“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 election.
“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 main opposition party said the time has come for the administration to define its stand on the issue of insecurity in the country, particularly the call by well-meaning Nigerians on President Buhari to rejig the nation’s top security architecture and inject new blood into the system.
“The PDP weeps for the victims of the mindless attacks and restates its call on President Buhari to wake up from slumber and take conclusive steps, beyond speeches, to flush the bandits out of our nation”.