The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to cut short his private visit to the United Kingdom and return home to address the growing security challenges in the country.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was completely unacceptable for Buhari to “abandon his responsibilities as the Commander-In-Chief, to pursue unexplained private matters abroad,” while bandits, marauders and insurgents seize, maim, kidnap and kill in Nigeria.
He said, “President Buhari’s inattention has emboldened insurgents and bandits to continue to over-run communities, unleash mayhem and bloodletting on citizens in Borno, Zamfara, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Kaduna, Benue, Kogi and other states of the federation, including Buhari’s home state, Katsina.
“Bandits are having a field day, pillaging communities in Katsina State; killing several persons and abducting the District Head of his hometown, Daura, Musa Umar; the father-in-law of Mr. President’s security aide.”
He added, “Within this period, marauders invaded communities in Adamawa and killed no fewer than 26 innocent Nigerians; many more have been killed in Borno, Taraba, Benue and Zamfara states, where bandits also reportedly attacked Government Girls Secondary School, Moriki, and kidnapped some school girls.
“While the Buhari administration remains virtually nonchalant, kidnappers have taken over many of our major highways, with hundreds of compatriots held in captivity in forests along Kaduna-Abuja, Taraba-Katsina-Ala and other highways in the country.”
Mr Ologbondiyan noted the allegations that some of the bandits arrested in states such as Katsina, are not Nigerians but aliens.
He urged the police to investigate the matter.
