Northern youths blame Buhari, APC for escalating attacks

Northern youths, under the aegis of Arewa Youth Forum (AYF), have blamed President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the wanton killings in the country. They maintained that the current administration has continued to show lack of seriousness to end the carnage.

AYF President, Alhaji Gambit Ibrahim Gujungu, while condemning the recent attacks on the Plateau yesterday in a statement in Kaduna, noted that his organisation was disturbed by what he described as the unnecessary and avoidable lost of lives in communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South council areas of Plateau State.

He pointed out that “it is quite unfortunate that human lives are being lost almost on a weekly basis in Nigeria, mainly in the northern parts of the country and the government is carrying on as if nothing is wrong.”

Gujungu asserted that the Buhari administration has failed in securing the lives and property of Nigerians since coming on board in 2015.

He called on the government to act fast and deal with the situation before the situation degenerates and threatens peaceful coexistence.

The Arewa youth leader continued: “We are worried because AYF is of the view that these killings are avoidable if the government of the day rises up to the occasion of its primary responsibility to Nigerians which is the protection of lives and property.

“It is now quite unfortunate that after voting for the APC government, what we are witnessing today is worse than what happened in 2015 before Nigerians voted out the previous administration.”

However, truckloads of police officers are to be deployed on the order of President as part of measures to address banditry and killings in Zamfara State.

Consequently, the Police High Command has started compiling names of personnel to be transferred to the state.

The President disclosed this when a delegation of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria visited him yesterday at the State House, Abuja.

Buhari was reacting to the violent conflicts in parts of the federation.

Zamfara has been battling with cases of cattle rustling and kidnapping in recent months resulting in deaths and burning of homes.

The President told the visitors that he was trying his best to address the security challenges in the country.

He said following his dissatisfaction with the performance of the police force in Zamfara, he had ordered the massive transfer to the troubled state.

To be most affected by the deployments are the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Rivers commands.

A police source said:” There is panic everywhere. Some of us don’t know our fate, but we have no option.”