Former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, especially in the Northern states.
Kwankwaso told the Hausa Service of the BBC on Tuesday that the levity with which security was initially handled by Buhari’s government, which allowed the situation to linger unchecked resulted in insecurity taking another dimension.
He described the security situation in Nigeria as “appalling”, saying he did not expect things to take such downward turn.
The former Kano governor said, “The issue at stake now isn’t about the president; from what we know it’s until everything is done that he’ll be informed; though now everything is changed.
“The basic cause of the current mess can be classified, first being the mistakes that the president has made that have worsened the situation because as a president, he should carry everybody along, including those who didn’t help him in any way. And once you’re a leader and you’re sworn in, you shouldn’t be sidelining and isolating people that you like and don’t like.”
Kwankwaso, however, appealed to Nigerians to join hands to assist President Buhari and security forces in overcoming the problem.
“Let’s coordinate ourselves and see what can be done to overcome the problem.”
On his assessment of the role of the Nigerian security forces, Kwankwaso said, “The big amazement is when one hears that someone has been killed, but nothing could be done… And always these armed gangsters are making more money, weaponry and they are triumphant, and in some places we hear that they are even taxing locals.
“In a country like Nigeria, with the army and the air force; and in this century there’d be some folks that are not literate in both Western and Arabic education, and yet they have the audacity and temerity to seize some part of Nigeria and they’re not dealt with and are being watched without taking any decisive action. What is happening?”