The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said, on Wednesday, that it was alarmed by the recent escalation of banditry in Niger State as well as other parts of the country.
It said this followed the failure of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to take decisive step to tackle the scourge.
The party in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, also condemned the reported killing as well as abduction of students of the Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State by bandits, who invaded their school Wednesday morning.
The PDP tasked security forces to go after the outlaws and rescue the children.
“Nigerians were jolted by the Tuesday’s coordinated bandit attacks, kidnapping and killings in several communities in Niger state.
“Bandits were reported to have on Tuesday, moved from village to village, supported by a helicopter, as they pillaged our compatriots, sacked major highways and held communities in Niger state hostage for several hours without any counter attack,” PDP said.
The main opposition party described as revealing that while the people of Niger state and Nigerians in other states were under attack by bandits, APC leaders, including those in Niger state, were busy pursuing their party’s phony membership re-registration exercise, instead of rallying security and rescue efforts for the people.
The party further stated that the lethargic stance of the APC administration towards the fight against banditry further validated reports in the public space that the bandits were connected to the APC and were enjoying cover under the ruling party.
“This probably explains why the APC never raised a strong voice against what has become a national calamity. Instead APC leaders are patronizing the bandits and making excuses for them.
“The public space is awash with reports that many of these bandits terrorizing Nigerians were political mercenaries brought in by the APC from neighboring countries to help it enforce the rigging of the 2019 elections, but which the APC and its leaders failed to settle after the elections, leaving them to unleash their frustrations on innocent Nigerians.
“Our party charges the APC to speak out on these reports and take immediate steps to settle their political mercenaries, return them to wherever they brought them from and bring an end to this gruesome attacks on Nigerians,” PDP added.
While commiserating with the victims of the Niger attacks, the PDP tasked the security forces to “go after the bandits as well as rescue the Kagara school children before any harm comes upon them.”
The PDP also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and wary of the APC and its activities.
It also called on patriotic Nigerians to continue in rallying around the opportunities created by democracy in the effort to rescue our nation from misrule and ensure lasting security for the country.
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