Atiku: Bandits Have Become Bolder Under Tinubu

Former  Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar says bandits have become bolder under the All tProgressives Congress, APC,  administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC Presidential hopeful made the remark in his reaction to the abduction of over 170 churchgoers in Kaduna, Nigeria’s North Central last weekend.

The former vice president’s reaction was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday by his media aide, Dr Paul Ibe, and made available to journalists.

According to Abubakar, it’s a shame on the APC-led government of Tinubu that bandits and other non state actors have taken over the country, and that the government appears to be helpless, saying Nigerians no longer believe on the government promise that the security situation in the country will soon be brought under control.

The magazine had earlier reported that bandits had, last Saturday, stormed two Cherubim and Seraphim churches and one ECWA church, in the Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, during church services, and seized over 170 persons, who they later led them into the bush.

The state government and the Nigerian Police had earlier denied the abduction, saying nobody was kidnapped. They have now confirmed the incident, as security agencies have now swung into action to rescue the abductees.

Reacting, Abubakar criticised the government slow response to security problems in the country, saying pro-active measures should be applied rather wait until attacks happen before the government responds. He also called on the government to stop making deals with the bandits, saying the criminals have devised means to fool the government.

He urged security agencies to quash the bandits saying what they understand is the language of force.

“Those peace deals always favour the bandits more than their victims, and they have always fooled the government’s negotiators,” Abubakar said.

“Nigerians are no longer impressed by the powerful language of condemnation by the government. They’re more interested in results than rhetoric. Experience has shown that if rhetoric were enough to deter the bandits, the menace would have ended a long time ago.”

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN has called for the safe rescue of the abducted church members. The President of CAN,  Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a statement on Wednesday criticised the police and state government’s initial position that there was no abduction, warning that Nigerians are beginning to lose confidence in the government because of the manner it has handled the issue.

Okoh: “The initial public dismissal of reports about this incident, before thorough verification, was deeply troubling.

“It generated confusion, heightened fear, and unfairly questioned the credibility of nearly 170 worshippers, their families, clergy, and eye-witnesses who raised the alarm.

“While the need to prevent panic is understandable, caution must not be communicated in ways that suggest denial or indifference.”