—Condemns No Fly Zone On Zamfara State.
A Non-Governmental Organisation Patriots for the Advancement Of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD) has charged the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government and the Service Chiefs to stop playing politics with the lives and security of Nigerians.
This is as the group stated that the no-fly zone declared in Zamfara State is a plot by the APC led Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state.
PAPSD also stated that the National Security Adviser (NSA) Major General Babagana Monguno has failed woefully in the discharge of his duties which according to it made the immediate past service chiefs not to be briefing him of their activities.
The group pointed out that the NSA should stop misleading President Muhammadu Buhari as the Inspector General of Police had announced the suspension of all mining activities in Zamfara State on 7th April, 2019 on behalf of the Federal Government up to date it is was not lifted.
Executive Director Of PAPSD Dr. Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi in a statement on Friday in Abuja wondered why Zamfara State should be singled out where there is escalated banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of violent acts in APC-controlled states like Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kogi, yet there was no attempt by the presidency to seek to impose a state of emergency or declare such states as no-fly zone. Rather than the selective approach to the fight against banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, he advised the presidency to go back to the drawing board and adopt a holistic approach to quell the prevailing insecurity in the country.
He also noted that Governor Bello Matawalle is not the first governor, particularly in the North-West, to adopt a dialogue solution to tackle insecurity in the country, adding that the governor adopted an intervention approach as a distressed measure following the failures of the presidency to guarantee the security of lives and property in the state.
According to Shinkafi “the APC led Federal Government should stop playing the 2023 Politics with armed banditry in Zamfara State. The APC leadership missed the point due to pettiness, contempt and attempts to play to the gallery. The APC should demonstrate patriotism by sympathizing with the people and come up with their own ideas on how to end banditry. We wonder why the APC led federal government is passing the buck of armed banditry to the Governor Matawalle led administration when it is obvious that the issue of armed banditry in Zamfara State dates to the days of the immediate past APC administration in the state.
“Under the Matawalle led administration armed banditry and kidnapping has been reduced to the barest minimum. It is on record that it’s the failure of the immediate past APC administration in Zamfara that saw the issue of armed banditry, kidnapping cattle rustling rising to the highest level in the State where thousands of people were kidnapped, over half a million people were displaced, more N2billion was paid as ransom to kidnappers, more than 25,000 children were orphaned while 6,500 women were widowed, properties worth billions of Naira destroyed farm lands were deserted and Yankasai an outlawed vigilante group were killing people indiscriminately yet nobody saw it fit to declare a no fly zone or declare a state of emergency” he added.
Shinkafi pointed out that “non of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is free from armed banditry, kidnapping armed robbery, rape, militancy ethnic, tribal, communal clashes and other forms of criminality. The President as the Commander in Chief Of the Armed forces, the new service chiefs should be more committed and come up with fresh ideas on how to battle this insecurity in the country.
“The North East was under siege by the Boko Haram insurgents for more than eleven years, yet the Boko Haram has not been defeated, why should the government leave the citizens at the mercy of armed robbers and kidnappers? Then what is the essence of having such a government?
He noted that “the recent cases of kidnapping of 276 school girls in Jangebe in Talata Marafa Local Government Area in Zamfara state has generated a lot of controversy resulting in the declaration of a no fly zone and the suspension of mining activities in the state. However when the Chibok girls were kidnapped in Borno State, the Dapchi girls were kidnapped by the Boko Haram in Yobe State, Kankara school children were abducted in Kastina State the same thing happened in Kagara in Niger State and nobody declared a no fly zone or a state of emergency on those states which are under the leadership of the APC. In all these no opposition party called for a no fly zone or state of emergency and there is mining operations both legal and illegal going on in Niger, Kastina, Nassarawa, parts of Benue state and Plateau State all these states have higher incidents of insecurity and yet nobody had declared a no fly zone or state of emergency in those areas nor have they stopped the mining operations” he added.
Shinkafi maintained that “the ease with which these bandits are carrying out their nefarious activities is a serious cause for concern for all Nigerians, while we are aware Mr President that you are doing your best but your best is not the best going by the current negative outcome. The bitter truth is that no place is presently safe in Nigeria, the NSA should tell the President the naked truth and stop playing politics with the lives of Nigerians. We call on the President to order the immediate recruitment of more security personnel to fight crime in the country.
“The Federal Government should declare a state of emergency on insecurity in Nigeria and improve the welfare of security personnel to boost their morale and enhance their performance. The office of the NSA, IGP, Service Chiefs the DG SSS should not politicize security by dining with politicians as what the country needs at this critical period is dedication, competence and patriotism in tackling the numerous security challenges confronting this nation . So there is the urgent need for inter agency collaboration between security agencies in the country” he declared.
Shinkafi stated that “this has become expedient in order to restore the country’s lost glory and restore the confidence of investors for the safety of their lives, properties and capital invested in businesses in the country. They should ensure the respect for the human rights of Nigerians as provided in the 1999 Constitution as amended. They should stay away from human rights abuses and neglects in the discharge of their duties.
