Labour Party has said the “calm situation” claimed by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, after security meeting between President Bola Tinubu and security chiefs does not suggest that security challenges in the country has reduced.
The party also demands from the security chiefs, a departure from the immediate administration where life is worthless and kidnapping was a thriving business, while tackling the nation’s security challenges.
LP in a statement by acting National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, said despite over $1 billion former President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration spent on the acquisition of weapons from the United States and other countries in the fight against insurgency since it assumed office in 2015, about N653.7 million was paid as ransom between July 2021 and June 2022 for the release of kidnapped victims.
The party stated that contrary to the claim of the NSA, insecurity in Nigeria has not abated under Tinubu administration, noting that last Friday, not less than five persons were killed and 11 others injured after suspected terrorists fired a rocket-propelled grenade at Dambia town in Borno State.
“That same day, worshippers were reportedly attacked in Ogun State leaving behind the pentecostal pastor dead while seven worshippers kidnapped.
“Scores of lives have been lost in Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara States to the bandits in some, cases over unpaid levy while hundreds were either injured or kidnapped.
“There have been increasing rate of armed robbery, kidnapping and other forms of crimes in South East, South South and across the nation.
“It is therefore a worrisome development for anyone to begin to politicise the security situation in Nigeria. Nigeria is unsafe today and we think we should not pretend about it,” the LP sated.
The party reminded the Tinubu administration that security is the primary responsibility of every government, and regretted that the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government failed woefully in providing security to Nigerians.
It urged the present administration “to rise above the primordial interest as was in the last government and work to push the insecurity backwards.”
The LP expressed confidence in “the capacity and capability of the new security chiefs particularly the NSA who has distinguished himself in the past as a corruption fighter” to contain the security situation in the country but said “Nigerians deserve action more that beautiful speeches and rhetorics as witnessed in the last administration.
“While that administration continued to blow its trumpet on how it had reduced insecurity or technically degraded terrorist activities, the rate of killings and kidnapping in the country was horrifying and had continued unabated.”
Quoting Nigeria Security Incidents Tracker report by Beacon Consulting, a security firm, LP said a total of 12,426 persons were abducted in Nigeria between January 1, 2021 and May 2, 2023.”
It reminded the NSA and service chiefs that more than 80 out of 264 Chibok school girls abducted since April 14, 2014 have spent over 9 years in captivity, whike Leah Sharibu and many others are still in the forest yet to be rescued.
