PDP laments fresh killings in Zamfara, others

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lamented Tuesday night’s killing of no fewer than 30 persons in simultaneous bandit attacks on four villages in two local government areas of Zamfara State.

In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja, the party also bemoaned the killing of a staff member as well as abduction of some students of Greenfield University in Kaduna State, which occurred also on Tuesday night.

It said: “It is saddening that bandits and terrorist elements are now holding our nation to ransom due to the manifest lack of commitment by the Buhari Presidency and the disoriented All Progressives Congress (APC) to decisively confront the situation and secure our country.

“Today, under President Muhammadu Buhari, our nation has become an expansive killing field where bandits, terrorist, kidnappers and invaders are having a field day despoiling our communities and killing our compatriots. This is completely unacceptable!”

The party recalled that it had advised President Buhari to conduct a holistic rejigging of the national security architecture “but the president only replaced the faces of the service chiefs without any attention to serious operational issues, as if the replacement of commanders were the exclusive magic wand for the security challenges facing our nation.”

The statement further said: “In the same vein, our party had demanded for the decentralisation of the police structure in a manner that will allow for effective state and community policing in the country.

“Rather than implement such, the Buhari presidency as well as the APC are toying with constabulary system of policing even when it is clear that such cannot be a direct response to the level of banditry and insecurity pervading our nation today.

“The fact is that the situation in our nation today has become too critical and demanding a surgical approach, including amendment to our constitution and other statutes that will allow for an effective community police system.

“It is clear to all, that no matter the number of the Inspector Generals that are replaced, the policing structure of our nation will remain ineffective if left under the prevailing statutory framework.

“For the umpteenth time, the PDP charges President Buhari to wake up from slumber, stop his unnecessary rhetoric, blame games and lame marching orders and take bold steps to rejig our national security architecture to guarantee the protection of lives and property in our country.”