From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A group of Northern youths, under the aegis of Arewa Youth Assembly, yesterday, staged a protest at the National Assembly, over the spate killings and abductions by gunmen across the country.
Spokesman of the group, Aliyu Mohammed, said they were dismayed over the unrelenting attacks, killings and kidnap of Nigerians in their homes, farms, major highways and trains by gunmen. He said the development has led to an unprecedented level of food scarcity in the country.
Mohammed alleged that the number of Nigerians who had either been kidnapped and killed in the country between January and June 2022, was more than the number of those killed in the Ukraine/Russia war. He said: “The Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a project of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) of the United States, at the weekend, revealed that activities of violent non-state actors had claimed no fewer than 5,222 lives nationwide between January and June 2022 alone.This figure is almost higher than casualties recorded in Ukraine that is officially at war with Russia.
“We are aware that the government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, has procured more weapons than any other government in our recent history, in response to the security challenges in our country. However, Nigerians have not been killed, kidnapped and desecrated like today. It is an ironic case of the more the security budget, the more Nigerians are killed and kidnapped.”
Consequently, the group noted that “the National Security Adviser is either not advising Mr President well, or his ideas are infective, hence, the seeming triumph of ragtag elements over our armed forces.
We, therefore, call for his immediate resignation or he be sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari.”