Ndubuisi Orji,  Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Federal Government of failing to contain the killings of Nigerians by insurgents and bandits in several parts of the country.

The party in a statement by its spokesman,  Kola Ologbondiyan, lamented the incessant  killings of citizens  in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, Kogi, Taraba and other parts of the country.

The opposition party noted that a situation where marauders and insurgents, which hitherto were pushed to the fringes by previous PDP governments, had resurged  under the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “the extent of occupying territories, ravaging communities and killing our citizens with reckless abandon, raises a lot of questions.”

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Ologbondiyan said a situation where bandits have taken control of some parts of the country and allegedly grant permission and consent to residents before they can conduct weddings,  naming ceremonies or operate their market 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. The PDP is greatly hurt by the horror, anguish, agony, torture and cruelty our compatriots are facing in the hands of bandits, insurgents and kidnappers, following the failure of the APC administration to get its acts together, tighten our security architecture and secure our nation, despite the huge resources it claimed to have spent. 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 neighbouring countries, particularly from Chad and Niger Republic to participate in its campaigns during the build-up to the 2019 general elections. 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.”

The PDP added that some APC governors had reportedly had contacts, discussions and even negotiations with the bandits. The party demanded that APC and such governors should  “come clean on links with marauders.”

“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.”