Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate for 2023, has condemned Nigeria’s growing acts of banditry and terrorism, calling them normal occurrences.
On Tuesday, Atiku made this statement via his X handle in reaction to reports of a deadly bandit raid on Yargoje village in Katsina State’s Kankara Local Government Area.
The incident took the lives of 20 persons.
Confirming the event, the Katsina Police Command’s spokesman, ASP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, said that the attack killed around 20 people, including four police officers and two operatives from the state-owned Community Watch Corps.
According to reports, the bandits ambushed a police armoured personnel carrier responding to a distress call in Gidan Tofa and Dan Nakwabo communities, killing two people.
Expressing his dismay, Atiku decried the reoccurring banditry and terrorism acts, underlining the government’s apparent incapacity and indifference in dealing with the problem despite the huge annual defence budget.
“It is also sad that the bandits ambushed the police armoured personnel carrier responding to the distress call at Gidan Tofa and Dan Nakwabo villages, killing four police officers and two members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps,” Atiku said.
Concerned about the frequency of such attacks, Atiku asked the federal government to prioritize the safety of residents’ lives and property.
“While I sympathize with the families of the victims, I will once again call on the government to be alive to its responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the citizens,” stated Atiku.
Atiku’s words highlight the critical need for bold action to solve Nigeria’s mounting insecurity concerns.