…Our intelligence on B/Haram attacks on NRC were ignored – el-Rufai, as he briefs Buhari on the Kaduna train attack
…Mercenary, A confirmationBuhari lacks capacity to fight terrorism – PDP
By Emma Okere, Ezeocha Nzeh and Myke Uzendu.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has lost the capacity to guarantee the security of Nigerian citizens, as it has been overwhelmed by insecurity in the country
Obasanjo, who regretted that the country is no longer safe for its citizens, submitted that the security challenges have overwhelmed the government of the President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former president, who made the declaration while receiving a PDP presidential aspirants, Dr Ugochukwu Williams, and his teamat the Obasanjo presiodential Library in Abeokuta, stated, “the development has shown that Nigerians are not safe anywhere – in vehicles, on the train or on aircraft”.
He lamented that the country is in a very serious situation, adding that Nigerians “are no longer safe on the road, on the train and at the airport,” calling for a concerted effort of stakeholders to stem the tide of insecurity in the country.
“So, if anybody comes to say I want to see you, I want to talk to you, I will say ‘you’re welcome’. This is because I believe very strongly, and I have said it publicly and I will say it again that the situation we are in this country is not a situation where one man will say yes, he has a solution unless we are deceiving ourselves. I believe we need to sit down collectively and look at the situation.
“A situation where you are not safe on the road, you are not safe on the train, you are not safe at the airport, shows a very serious situation.
“I believe that all right-thinking Nigerians must know that we have a situation that has overwhelmed the present administration, but we should not allow that situation to overwhelm Nigeria.”
In his remarks, Williams flanked by House of Representatives aspirants from Plateau and Imo States, said he had visited Obasanjo for consultation on his presidential ambition.
He described Obasanjo as a leader who is passionate about the peace and unity of Nigeria.
The young presidential aspirant said he was on a mission to “rescue Nigeria”.
Meanwhile, Gov. Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State at the weekend said the warning on an impending Boko Haram attack on the nation’s train routes were ignored by security agencies’’’
The Governor stated this in Abuja as he briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on security developments in his state following Monday night’s terror attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train around the notorious Rijana axis.
The governor, who appeared sober about almost ceaseless killings in his state, briefing State House correspondents in Hausa language said that the president had assured him that drastic measures were being put in place to checkmate the activities of terrorists and bandits in Kaduna state and beyond.
From the transcription of his statements, it was gathered that el-Rufai said Buhari had told him that security agencies have been making frantic efforts to rescue victims of Monday night’s attack on the Kaduna bound train, from the hands of their abductors.
El-Rufa’i said that the attack on the train was carried out by Boko Haram insurgents in collaboration with some bandits operating in Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto and Kebbi States.
However, he did not give any insight on the identity of those who had attacked the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Federal School of Forestry Engineering and the Kaduna Airport, the ceaseless attacks on communities in the Southern Kaduna axis, all in the state.
The transcription of his briefing goes thus: “The President assured me that necessary steps would be taken on the matter and this thing will be brought to an end in few months, and security agents are already carrying out surveillance around where these criminals are and, by the grace of God, they will be rounded up.
“But as you know, the government will always take precautionary measures to safeguard the lives of citizens, therefore, except the victims are rescued unhurt, the airforce and ground troops will not be able to confront the criminals.
“So to avoid any colossal damage, the captives have to be freed first”.
The governor confirmed that the gunmen had contacted some families of their captives, but were yet to request for ransom.
“Well, the families of those kidnapped have been contacted, while some of the captives themselves have called their loved ones, saying they are doing well and they are being taken care of.
“But the gunmen have not shown any sign of collecting ransom,” he said.
The governor emphasised that the gunmen should not be presumed to be kidnappers but members of the Boko Haram terrorist group working in collaboration with bandits.
El-Rufai added: “These ones are not the usual kidnappers but members of Boko Haram who are collaborating with bandits.
”We were thinking they will ask for a huge ransom from the state government, not the families of their victims.
”So far, they have asked for ransom from just one of the families that were contacted.
“As far as the Kaduna State Government is concerned, we have not changed our stand on payment of ransom, so, even if they seek for that from us, we will not pay because we are not ready to do so”.
The governor further said that the state government had received intelligence reports that the gunmen were going to strike on the rail line and had intimated the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on the matter, but no action was taken.
“We think this thing happened because we have written twice to the NRC, advising that trains on the Kaduna route should not embark on night trips because we have reports that Boko Haram were in town and they plan to attack the train at night using explosive devices”.
He stressed the need for massive bombing of all bandit-infested enclaves including forest areas in the North West and North Central parts of the country.
It should be recalled that the Kaduna-bound train, left Abuja at 6 pm. last Monday, and was attacked by the terrorists at about 7.45 pm, about 15 minutes to Kaduna.
Eight persons had been officially confirmed dead, 46 hospitalised while several others were kidnapped.
At the time of filing this report, the true state of affairs of the kidnapped victims have not been ascertained.
…Mercenaries a confirmation that Buhari lacks capacity to fight terrorism, says PDP
The main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the admission of frustration and threats by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to invite foreign mercenaries to fight terrorists in Nigeria is a further confirmation and admission that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration lack the capacity to fight terrorism.
PDP in a statement by it’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Olugunagba said that Gov. el-Rufai cannot distance himself from those responsible for fueling and aiding insecurity and terrorism in the country.
The opposition party lamented “the alarming insecurity situation in Nigeria that has led to the killing and maiming of tens of thousands of compatriots since the APC took office in 2015 is the result of the actions and comments by APC leaders and government officials who encouraged acts of terrorism in the name of politics.
“Nigerians can still recall how in July 2021, Governor el-Rufai, when asked why the Federal Government was lethargic in going after bandits (terrorists) stated that the bandits (terrorists) are collections of independent criminals for whom banditry is a business.
“Nigerians can also recall how ahead of the 2019 general elections, Governor el-Rufai threatened that “those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the persons that will come and intervene, they will go back in body bags”.
“The media was also awash with reports of how Governors of APC-controlled States, especially in the North West region of the country publicly romanced and empowered terrorists by paying them billions of naira of public funds in various hurried, uncoordinated and hazy negotiations.
“Nigerians have not forgotten how in November 2020 the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency through its spokesperson, Shehu Garba, rationalized the beheading of 43 rice farmers in Borno State by terrorists and blamed the farmers for not obtaining clearance before going to their farms”.
PDP said that such comments and actions by Governor el-Rufai, the Buhari Presidency and other APC leaders emboldened the terrorists to unleash more violence on innocent people, the result of which are now apparent and living with us.
The Party challenged Governor el-Rufai and other APC leaders to speak out on the confession by a former APC leader that the terrorists pillaging the nation were brought in by APC leaders to rig the 2019 general elections but had remained in the country following the failure by the APC to pay them for the heinous ‘services’ they were contracted to provide against the Nigerian people.
The party said that Gov. el-Rufai should know that he and other APC leaders cannot distance themselves from blame in the worsening insecurity, pain, horror, social dislocation of families and life-discounting experiences being encountered daily by Nigerians under the APC.
The PDP reminded Gov. el-Rufai to know that his suggestion or threats to import foreign mercenaries is counter-productive and capable of compounding the already dire security situation in the country.
The PDP expressed its trust on the competence and capability of the gallant Armed Forces to defend our nation.
