Insecurity: It’s shameful terrorists now oppressing Buhari’s govt with damming attacks — Ladoja

Against the backdrop of growing insecurity plaguing the nation, a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, on Saturday, in Ibadan, said it is now shameful that terrorists are now oppressing the government of President Muhammadu Buhari after the ceaseless reign of terror on the citizenry 

He contended that with the recent terrorist attack on the advance convoy of Mr President in Katsina State and the latest jailbreak perpetrated by terrorists in the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, criminality had been taken to a frightening level in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists at his Bodija residence, in Ibadan, shortly after observing Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the University of Ibadan Central mosque, Ladoja stated that “with the recent terrorists attack on the advance team or the convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina, they will now understand the reality of the growing insecurity facing the country.”

According to him, “now that insecurity is knocking at their door, maybe they will now understand the critical situation we now find ourselves and what the masses are going through.

“We are very lucky that the president was not there. We were told it was an attack on his advance team. It is not easy to attack a president like that. There will be soldiers, police, and NSCDC operatives in the convoy of the president, who are well-armed. 

“But, for the terrorists to dare carry out an attack on Mr President’s convoy, it is time for the government to sit up and do more to tackle insecurity and criminal activities of terrorists. God will not support oppression because they (terrorists) are now oppressing everybody.

“They are not only oppressing everybody, but they are now even oppressing a sitting government. How many people can live in their towns in the North? They either stay put in Abuja because of insecurity or other safer towns, “Ladoja posited

He continued: “We have to pray that what is happening to them in the North in terms of insecurity does not happen to us here. We are saying that food is expensive and how would food items not be expensive. We have to ask ourselves how many farmers are going to farms now. They have been chased away from their farmlands by gunmen. 

“If you don’t plant, you cannot reap anything. It is just the basic truth. So, whatever you don’t plant, you cannot harvest. Sometimes ago, it was reported that some rice farmers, numbering over 100 were slaughtered on their farms in the North. Now, how many rice farmers are going back to farms now or how many other farmers are returning to farms after several attacks by gunmen and terrorists.

“Maybe now that insecurity is getting closer to the president, he would now understand what the people all of us are facing or the grave implication better. The terrorists that attacked Kuje Prisons in Abuja knew what they went there to do. Some people have been negotiating with them. 

“The terrorists said the reason they are holding the Abuja-Kano train passengers hostage is to swap or exchange them (victims) with their commanders arrested by security agencies and detained in prisons. Now that they (terrorists) have freed their commanders, I wonder what the government is waiting for again to go and free the train victims, who are being held hostage by these terrorists.

“If they are bold enough to come and free their commanders at Kuje Prisons and we are not told that any one of them (terrorists) was arrested or gunned down, then something was amiss. They operated for more than three hours without any resistance.

“We only hope that it is the people that are supposed to be protecting us are not the ones fighting us now. The whole scenario is either incompetence on the part of the people that are ruling us or deliberate negligence act. When Mr President came on board, he said Nigerians should give him six months to eradicate the menace of Boko Haram as a retired military general. 

“For the terrorists to have even gone to the extent of attacking the convoy of the president is damning and worrisome. That means that they can even attack Aso Rock, which is the official residence of Mr President. If high profile kept at Kuje Prisons could be freed by terrorists, that means that one day, we will just hear that they have entered Aso Rock. This calls for serious concern. 

“Though we have to continue to pray, prayers alone cannot stop insecurity and other forms of attacks, we have to be very visible to and sensitise our people. The situation is getting worse and very recently, the Zamfara State governor told his people state to acquire arms and ammunition to defend themselves. 

So, if anybody carries arms in Zamfara State, can he be arrested by the security agents. Mr President and other relevant security stakeholders should be more active and strive to checkmate the worsening security situation in the country, “Ladoja remarked.

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