PDP govs accuse soldiers of ‘criminal acts’, urge Buhari to do something

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has condemned alleged criminal acts by Nigerian soldiers in Taraba and Abia states.

Only last week, some soldiers were said to have killed three policemen and a civilian in Taraba state as well as a commercial motorcyclist in Abia State.

In the case of Taraba, the murdered policemen were said to have arrested a notorious kidnapper, who the soldiers allegedly allowed to escape after shooting the policemen and the civilian dead.

In Abia, the commercial motorcyclist was reportedly killed by a soldier at a checkpoint after he refused to pay a bribe of N100.

Responding to this development in a statement on Monday, PDP Governors’ Forum chairman and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, decried the alleged act, wondering how soldiers could abandon their constitutional role of defending the borders of the country from external aggression to descending into “such lowly criminality”.

The statement read in part, “These killings have in recent times taken another gruesome dimension and this nonchalant attitude is not only wicked, malicious, unprofessional and cowardly; it is totally unacceptable to the people of this country.

“We wish to reiterate that the killings are unnecessary. It is very pathetic that the Nigerian Army would abandon their constitutional role of defending the borders of the country from external aggression to descend into such lowly criminality.

“It is sad that a security personnel, who is paid and maintained with tax-payers’ money, could turn around to kill the person he was paid to protect.”

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He therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari led government to put right the situation without delay, “as this portrays signs of inefficiency and irresponsibility”.

He added, “We implore the federal government to adequately compensate the families of victims and ensure justice is served on the culprits.”

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