KILLINGS: Rejig security set-up to end bloodshed, PDP tells Buhari

*Urges PMB to release concrete measures not condolence messages

By Myke Uzendu, Abuja

The Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) has asked Presi­dent Muhammadu Buha­ri to rejig the nation’s secu­rity architecture to end the wanton killing and blood­letting in the country. The opposition party made the call in a statement on Sunday saying that Nigeria cannot afford to continue to be a country where cit­izens have to contend dai­ly with the fear and pain of death.

The statement signed by the National Public­ity Secretary of the Par­ty, Mr Kola Ologbongi­ya described the killing of about 23 innocent Nige­rians by marauders in Ta­wari Community in Kogi state as dastardly and com­pletely unacceptable.

The PDP said Buha­ri must inject new blood into the security system.

Said the statement, “The PDP notes that the invasion of the helpless Tawari community and the killing spree, which reportedly lasted unre­pressed for several hours, despite earlier security ap­prehensions in the area, points to government’s di­rect negligence to its pri­mary duty to protect the people.

“The PDP blames the unabated killing and vio­lence in various parts of the country on security lapses under the present administration as well as the manifest failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to decisively track down and prosecute killers and perpetrators of violence in our country.

“Our party recalls that no decisive steps have been taken to prosecute the perpetrators of mass killings that shook our nation in Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Kano, Ni­ger, Rivers, Ebonyi, Abia and of course Kogi state, under the All Progressives Congress (APC) adminis­tration.

“It is indeed disheart­ening that the APC admin­istration is now trying to reduce the functions of the office of the Commander-in Chief of our nation to issuing press releases and condolences message each time marauders invade communities and mas­sacre defenseless compa­triots, instead of tracking down and dealing with the perpetrators. “Such fail­ures by government em­bolden killers, insurgents, marauders and kidnappers who have now virtually taken over our highways and holding citizens hos­tage in their homes, forests and caves,” the PDP said.