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Bandits Attacks: FG Aloof, Detached From Reality On The Ground — CSOs

Some civil society organisations, CSOs, have described the Buhari administration as being primed for failure by refusing to act swiftly to events of attacks by bandits terrorizing the country.

According to them, terrorism, insurgency, and banditry did not start under Buhari, however, they say it is to his eternal discredit that all have escalated almost beyond control on his watch.

The civil society groups say the major and persistent posture of Presidency officials has been to live in denial and blame their predecessors.

They accuse him of not taking responsibility and failing to provide strong leadership either to his team, the security agencies or to Nigerians.

For them, President Buhari appoints a succession of unimpressive defence ministers and security chiefs, stressing that as some fail, he refuses to replace them promptly in line with global standards.

They also accuse him of rarely empathising physically with grieving communities as every other head of government does; his visits to afflicted communities are few, content with unemotional statements issued on his behalf by aides.

Speaking with Saturday Vanguard, the Executive Director, Adopt A Goal Initiative, Ariyo Dare Atoye, said: “Unfortunately, in all of this, President Buhari has continued to appear calm and aloof from the reality of the dangerous storms that have made landfall on our shores.

“The security situation in the nation’s capital territory has deteriorated to an embarrassing level, but not beyond the knowledge of the government in power, which has refused to act to the full extent of our law enforcement powers.

“It is becoming evident to Nigerians that terrorists and their sympathisers have infiltrated our security architecture, making intelligence gathering a shitshow.

“The threat of terror attacks in the FCT sends a wrong signal to the entire country and the International community, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty among the people.

“It is now difficult to dismiss insinuations that there could be an inherent plot to allow insecurity to fester to truncate the 2023 elections with the declaration of a state of emergency.”

The FCT Administration also seems to be aware of the people’s fear that Abuja is under siege, because, during the week, it swiftly ordered the immediate closure of all schools in the nation’s capital, citing the increased security threats by bandits in Abuja and its environs.

VANGUARD