PDP decries fresh killings in Zamfara, others; insists on state, community policing

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decried the Tuesday night massacre of no fewer than 30 compatriots in simultaneous bandits’ attacks on four villages in two local government areas of Zamfara state.

The party in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, also bemoaned the killing of a staff member as well as abduction of unconfirmed number of students of Greenfield University in Kaduna state, the same Tuesday night.

“It is saddening that bandits and terrorist elements are now holding our nation to ransom due to the manifest lack of commitment by the Buhari Presidency and the disoriented All Progressives Congress (APC) to decisively confront the situation and secure our country.

“Today, under President Muhammadu Buhari, our nation has become an expansive killing field where bandits, terrorist, kidnappers and invaders are having a field day despoiling our communities and killing our compatriots. This is completely unacceptable!

“Our party recalls that we had advised President Buhari to conduct a holistic rejigging of our national security architecture but Mr President only replaced the faces of the service chiefs, without any attention to serious operational issues, as if the replacement of commanders were the exclusive magic wand for the security challenges facing our nation.

“In the same vein, our party had demanded for the decentralization of the police structure in a manner that will allow for effective state and community policing in the country.

“Rather than implement such, the Buhari presidency as well as the APC are toying with constabulary system of policing even when it is clear that such cannot be a direct response to the level of banditry and insecurity pervading our nation today.

“The fact is that the situation in our nation today has become too critical and demanding a surgical approach, including amendment to our constitution and other statutes that will allow for an effective community police system.

“It is clear to all, that no matter the number of the Inspector Generals that are replaced, the policing structure of our nation will remain ineffective if left under the prevailing statutory framework,” the statement read.

The PDP charged President Buhari to wake up from slumber, stop his unnecessary rhetoric, blame games and lame marching orders and take bold steps to rejig national security architecture to guarantee the protection of life and property in the country.

The party said it held that President Buhari, as the commander-in-chief, who promised to lead from the front, could not be sleeping on duty or having penchant for overseas trips when the country was on the edge.