Following the high rate of insecurity in the north, the Northern Elders Forum has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to tackle the situation.
The convener of the forum, Ango Abdullahi, in a statement on Sunday, said that the situation is getting worse by the day.
READ ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg, Wife Express Dissatisfaction Over Trump’s Inciting Comment
According to him, the constant attacks by bandits and Boko Haram insurgents are indications that the Buhari administration “has failed woefully” in terms of security and welfare of citizens.
The statement read:
Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is alarmed at the rising insecurity of communities and their properties in the North. Recent escalation of attacks by bandits, rustlers and insurgents leave the only conclusion that the people of the North are now completely at the mercy of armed gangs who roam towns and villages at will, wreaking havoc.
It would appear that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and governors have lost control over the imperatives of protecting people of the North, a constitutional duty that they swore to uphold.
The situation is getting worse literally by the day as bandits and insurgents appear to sense a huge vacuum in political will and capacity which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals.”
As a responsible body, the forum has joined millions of others in prayers and in giving advice and encouragement to all authorities that have responsibility to protect our communities,” he said.
It is now time to say, enough is enough. Our people are known for their patience and respect for constituted authorities, but all governments must be aware by now that all Northerners have been pushed to the wall.
The forum is aware that some citizens are contemplating peaceful protests, which are their constitutional rights, to draw attention of President Buhari and all levels of authority to the plight of people of the North.
The forum urges all citizens to conduct themselves in peaceful and responsible manner, and it urges governments to respect the rights of citizens to express their opinions peacefully.
Abdulahi said that the forum is consulting other groups and organisations which share its goals in order to come up with demands from the government over the “unremitting assault” on the lives and livelihood of northerners.