Buhari, Others Call For Decisive Action Against Terrorism

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The Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari , has condemned Thursday’s Abuja bomb blast and called for a decisive action against terrorism.

Similarly, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) and the Patriotic Alliance of Nigeria (PAN) have described the spate of bomb blasts across the country as an indictment of the nation’s security forces.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, Abuja, in which two persons reported died and 73 vehicles damaged.

Buhari told NAN in Lagos through his spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, that “it is unfortunate that Nigeria is fast becoming a terrorist state.”

Buhari noted that “the episodic recurrences of bomb blasts in Nigeria are beginning to instill fears in Nigerians, which is very unhealthy for the nation.

“There must be sustained and coordinated efforts to get to the root of these dastardly acts,” he said.

In his reaction, the President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, alleged that there must be a leakage within the security agencies.

“Those behind these bomb blasts are working to sabotage the efforts of the Federal Government,” he said.

According to him, the security agencies must buckle up because the spate of the bomb blasts indicate that they (security Agencies) have not lived up to people’s expectations.

“It is shameful and sad that such an incident occurred within the heart of the Nigeria Police Force,” the Arewa Youth President said.

Speaking on behalf of PAN, an association of opposition political parties, its coordinator, Chief Maxi Okwu, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately remove the National Security Adviser.

Okwu told NAN: “There is need for the president to reshuffle the entire security apparatus in Nigeria and bring in modern Nigerians to take charge of the situation.”

“The people at the helm of affairs are used to old methods, but security system has changed. In modern security, which is ICT- friendly, security operatives must be ten steps ahead of criminals,” he said.

The PAN coordinator said that “the nation’s security agencies had become reactive, rather than proactive, and are losing the battle against crime.

“The bomb blast at the police headquarters clearly shows that the police were not alert,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Action Council (NAC), Dr Olapade Agoro, called for the immediate resignation of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim.

“If the battle can be taken to the den of security and won, then Ringim has no business heading the Nigeria Police Force.

“If I were President Jonathan, I will ask Ringim to leave immediately,” he said.

He said the nation’s security was porous, noting that the bomb blasts showed that the security agencies were treating the issue of terrorism with kid gloves.

“What would have happened if the president, for instance, was visiting the headquarters of the Police Force at that point,” he queried.

The NAC chieftain said that if the leadership of security agencies could not guarantee its own security, then they should not be allowed to be in charge of the security of lives and property of citizens.

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