Don’t wait for Buhari government, protect your people — northern elders tell governors

Owing to its repeated failures to keep Nigerians safe, citizens should stop expecting the Muhammadu Buhari government to protect them from bandits.

This is according to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).

The group called on governors, particularly those from the Northern, to explore constitutional options of establishing policing structures so they could keep their own people safe in the light of the Buhari government’s glaring failure to do so.

Speaking on the backdrop of the abduction of 317 schoolchildren from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Talata-Mafara local government area of Zamfara State, NEF spokesperson Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said Nigerians have “lost faith that government will reverse the successes of the criminal against defenceless citizens”.

“It has become painfully apparent that the federal government cannot muster the will or the capacity to limit exposure of Nigerians to violent criminals,” NEF said.

“Despite assurances from the federal government that it will end banditry and kidnappings, the life of the Nigerian is becoming more endangered by the day, and citizens have lost faith that governments will reverse the successes of the criminal against defenceless citizens.

“The forum advises particularly northern governors to explore all lawful avenues to improve the security of citizens.

“While they should improve their support to the military, the police and security agencies, they should also explore avenues which give them more powers to secure citizens within the confines of the constitution which provides states with authorities to establish policing structures, including those with a specialization such as forest rangers should now be pursued as a matter of national priority.

“Bandits who refuse to submit to mediation and cessation of criminal activities should be treated in accordance with the laws of the country.”

The forum also said it is saddened by the negative effect of the abductions on education, encouraging parents not to stop their children from going to school.

It also called on governments at all levels to take firmer measures to secure schools.

“Apart from the likelihood of similar abductions re-occurring as bandits engage in copycat crimes in a region that is unprotected, these abductions will severely damage the poor state of education in the North, particularly girl-child education,” NEF said.