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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
Muslims in the North on Wednesday flayed the failure of the Federal Government to end the rising insecurity in parts of their region.
They challenged the Muhammadu Buhari administration to take decisive actions against the perpetrators.
Mere warnings and condemnations that have become the refrain of the government after every killing and banditry will not bring peace to the nation.
The Muslims, under the aegis of Jamaโatu Nasril Islam (JNI), also said they had noted with regret, that the killings, especially in the Northwest and some parts of Northcentral, were an extension of Boko Haram insurgency.
Besides, the Muslims said they were beginning to align with rumours that security operatives do not want the insurgency and banditry to end because of pecuniary gains.
Shortly before a JNI statement on the issues was made public, the National Security Adviser, Maj.Gen. Babagana Munguno; the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu and other top security chiefs, had met behind closed doors with Katsina State Governor Amina Masari on how to end the rising banditry in the state.
The meeting was at the instance of President Buhari, an indigene of the state. Renewed banditry and killings in the state had last week led to street protests by many residents.
Chairman Board of Trustees of the Coalition of the Northern Groups (CNG), Nastura Sharif, was arrested and taken to Abuja over the protests.
The JNI, said in the statement signed by its Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, that the repeated killings and banditry would have been avoided if the government had risen to the occasion.
The religious body lamented that it was unfortunate that those in authority remained in their comfort zones as their subjects were being subjected to arson and killings by bandits who take advantage of their inaction.
JNI said it was surprised that the repeated massacre, arson and rustling of cattle in Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, Adamawa, Kaduna and Taraba states were not giving governments and its functionaries sleepless nights.
The Sultan of Sokoto-led JNI called on the government to take all criticisms and genuine calls by concerned Nigerians on insecurity in the country in good fate.
The statement reads in part: โJamaโatu Nasril Islam (JNI) under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Saโad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and JNIโs President-General, is in utter shockwave over the unfortunate repeated incidences of loss of precious lives and wanton destruction of property arising from well-coordinated attacks of armed bandits, Boko Haram terrorist groups and rapists.
โWe implore government to take all genuine calls, concerns so raised and recommendations proffered so far, even from perceived and/or alleged antagonists in good fate, in order to move the country on the path of glory โ human security, as development in whatever guise, is utterly incomplete without security.โ
