- * Challenges Ruling Party To Expose The Alleged Opposition North-West Gov Sponsoring Banditry Activities.
By Mohammed Munirat Nasir (Zamfara State Correspondent)
Patriots for the Advancement Of Peace and Social Development (PAPS), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has chided the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to accept its failure in the provision of adequate security and stop playing politics with the lives and property of Nigerians.
A statement by PAPS Chairman, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, in reaction to a recent statement by APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yakeen Nabeena where he alleged that an opposition governor in the northwest was behind the banditry activities in the region, as an act of irresponsibility.
Shinkafi challenged Nabena to name the governor he is alluding to as the sponsor of banditry and sundry crimes in the North-West and provide evidence that he [the governor] is involved in all of that which he alleged.
“Otherwise, the security agencies in the country should invite Mr. Nabena to provide evidence of his allegation, assist them in investigating the matter, and make sure that justice is done,” he maintained.
Shinkafi urged the APC to stop giving Nigerians lame excuses.
"When the Kankara schoolboys were kidnapped instead of sympathizing with the parents the party chose to mislead the public by alleging that some governors Of the North West are responsible for the escalation in armed banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and armed robbery. Because of the corruption and carelessness," he said.
He advised the Mai Mala Bunu APC National leadership to stop chasing shadows and face the reality.
“It is still fresh in our memory that it was during the maladministration of former governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar that armed banditry, cattle rustling, kidnappers and armed robbers held Zamfara State hostage, the 14 local government areas and 147 electoral wards were under siege of the armed bandits.
“More than 167 communities and villages were set ablaze by armed bandits without provocation and the villagers rendered homeless, and the Federal Government established no single Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp or the Yari led state government throughout his tenure. No single relief material was given to the displaced villagers.
“Most of the major markets in Zamfara State were grounded, farmers deserted all the farmlands for fear of being kidnapped by the bandits. There were a series of attacks daily and people were massacred and women raped. There was a conspiracy of silence by the APC led federal government and the Yari led administration in Zamfara State” when he was in power for the past eight years," he added
The PAPS chairman added that the APC in its desperate attempt to pass the bulk of their failure pretends to have forgotten the insecurity situation in Zamfara state before the coming of this administration in the last 18 months.
"More than 500,000 livestock was rustled, 6319 people were killed, 3672 persons were kidnapped, and over N2.8billion was paid as ransom. Over 6000 women were made widows and 25,000 children were orphaned.
"If Nabena and the APC are trying to apportion blames to the Governors in the North West as being responsible for the increase in the insurgency, then who is responsible for Boko Haram in the North East which is responsible for the kidnapping of innocent people on the Kaduna/Abuja high way and who is responsible in herdsmen killing innocent lives in Northcentral?
"They should stop playing politics with the security of lives and property of Nigerians," he warned.
Shinkafi stated that playing blame games is not a panacea to the security problem at hand.
"None of us should play politics with security matters. We should also not play politics with the lives of those we swore to protect. Instead, all hands must be on deck to ensure the collective security of the North and the country in general,” he advised.
Shinkafi lamented that the actions of Mai Mala Buni and APC's blame tactics which he said is not good for the development of the country.
“As the Acting National Chairman Of APC when the Chibok girls in Borno and Dapchi girls in Yobe State were abducted which Boko Haram claimed to solely responsible their kidnappings all happened in APC controlled States, he was National Secretary of the APC before his emergence as the Governor Of Yobe State and now the Acting National Chairman Of the party, Buni for one day never went to Zamfara State to sympathize with them over the killings in the state, ” he said. NNL.
