Sultan of Sokoto blasts Nigerian govt over insecurity

The Sultan of Sokoto and leader of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Monday, lambasted the Federal Government over its inability to provide security for its citizens, saying it had no moral justification to remain as a government.

The Sultan who expressed his frustration with the state of insecurity in the country following the recent terror attack on a Abuja-Kaduna train, said the least Nigerians demanded from the government was the protection of their lives and properties.

The statement which was signed on behalf of the Sultan by the Secretary-General of JNI, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, reads in part:

“To say the least, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), is agonized and short of words to express herself over the gory incident of the infamous train attack which happened on Monday, March 28, 2022.

Read also: Sultan of Sokoto decries insecurity, high cost of living, in Nigeria

“The well-orchestrated incident remains highly condemnable, reprehensible and upsetting to every rational mind.

“It appears that the continuous callous acts of mayhem, killings and arson happening almost on daily or weekly bases around us, either within communities and/or on the roads we ply, have automatically reset our human psyche that we now have accepted such dastardly acts as part of our lives, to the extent that we no longer feel it.

“Any government that is incapable of protecting the lives of its citizens has lost the moral justification of being there in the first place; this is enunciated in Section 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Terrorists are now becoming bolder and more belligerent by the day. They operate in any area of their choice(s) at any time they so wish.

‘’Most communities are now under the bandits’ absolute control with taxes being paid to bandits; some parts of Borno, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto States and some others yet to be disclosed to the public.

‘’In fact, terrorists do what they wish, knowing that there is no gun powder or authority that will defy them.

“With all the reported resources allocated to relevant security agencies; intelligent gathering mechanism, military arsenal and tact, can’t the government provide any convincing justification on why the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate?

“Why are attacks experienced all over the place and continuing unabated without any deterrence? Moreover, why must the security budget and expenditure remain so secretive, despite the reported release of funds?

“Again, why can’t the government proactively take the battle to the criminals’ hideouts and wipe them off? Why should the government wait until people are attacked, lives and properties lost for them to strike and be issuing empty orders and usual condemnation? The whys are endless!”

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