2.8K
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has decried the state of
insecurity and killing in Nigeria, saying the country cannot make any
progress with mourners everyday.
In a statement he personally signed and made available to
Pointblanknews.com, Tambuwal said the spate of killings calls for
immediate overhaul of the security department in the country.
The statement reads:
“I wish to commiserate with the families, friends, colleagues and
associates of all our beloved fellow citizens, who lost their lives in the
persistent and senseless killings now occuring in all parts of our dear
country.
“Indeed, the growing spate of mindless shedding of innocent blood,
especially of policemen and other security personnel on their lawful duty
posts, has brought a new dimension to the reprehensible state of
insecurity in the country.
“Last May, three policemen were shot dead in Sokoto State by kidnappers,
who abducted a Syrian national they were escorting. A few days later, four
police officers were ambushed and killed in Benue State. Last week seven
policemen were reportedly gunned down in cold blood in Abuja, and their
arms and ammunition taken, by unknown persons.
“This is happening amidst repeatedly reported cases of attacks on police
stations and other security facilities in various parts of the country.
“The question from every law abiding citizen today is: “Who will protect
us, when even those constitutionally charged with the responsibility of
protecting our lives and property have, themselves, become vulnerable
targets of criminals? Where shall we run to for protection, when the
institutions of State put in place to protect us are being progressively
dismantled by opportunistic criminality and the trained personnel are also
on the run?
“It bears repeating for me to state here that Nigeria’s security
architecture and the strategies currently adopted and deployed for
national security, if any, need a comprehensive overhaul. It is not
working. The needless waste of life everywhere, both those of trained
security personnel and ordinary citizens, is a drain on the nation’s
resources and an unacceptable diminution of our valuable human capital.
“Every policeman or military personnel is someone’s father,
mother,brother, sister,uncle, aunt or friend. The number and frequency of
deaths is undermining our humanity, making us less sensitive to the
gravity of the situation we are in today and also creating a new
generation of Nigerians, who may get accustomed to inhuman acts as the
norm.
“The worst part of all this is that these deaths are avoidable and the
killings preventable. It boils down, at the end of the day, to failure of
leadership. Nigeria cannot progress and be part of a 21st Century forward
looking world by creating new batches of mourners every other day. This is
not the way to go. That is not what Nigerians voted for in 2015. That is
not what will build a virile, united, united, politically stable and
economically prosperous African Giant.
Signed:
Dr. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Governor of Sokoto State