Boko Haram, bandits have surrounded Abuja; 741 Nigerians killed since January

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory has been surrounded by terrorists and bandits.

The main opposition party further stated that Nigeria “is on the precipice with arms-bearing non-state actors menacingly overrunning our state and its institutions and daily eroding our sovereignty”.

National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus raised the alarm during a World Press Conference held in Abuja on Monday.

The PDP boss lamented that Nigeria has become an expansive field of mass kidnapping and murder under the watch of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.

He lamented that “741 Nigerians have been murdered by bandits and terrorists” since January”.

Secondus said that the surrounding of the FCT was evident in the alarms raised by the Governors of Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger – all APC states – of terrorist and bandit operations in their various domains.

Addressing the journalists, he said, “The leadership of the PDP come to you today with a very heavy heart regarding the state of our union.

“It is very clear that Nigeria is on the precipice with arms-bearing non-state actors menacingly overrunning our state and its institutions and daily eroding our sovereignty.

“These perilous situations have manifested through terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, arson, and inexplicable murderous rampage across our nation.

“Government’s monopoly over legitimate coercive powers has been compromised and torpedoed, with criminal gangs let loose across our nation.

“It is unimaginable that terrorists, who had been pushed out to the fringes by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, leading to the successful elections of 2015, have since boldly reasserted themselves and are now taking territories in five local governments of Niger State, which is only two hours from Abuja.

“It is also important to note that the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who by his position, is armed with credible intelligence, raised the alarm that terrorists and bandits were making inroads into the towns in Kaduna state.

“Also, noteworthy is the alarm raised by the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Sule Abdullhahi, that the Boko Haram were occupying territories in his State. A strategic and intelligent interpretation of these is that Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is surrounded.”

Secondus said that the nation has witnessed an upsurge of kidnapping in the FCT, further giving vent to the assertions of the governors.

In addition to this, he said, is the escalation of killings, arson, bloodletting, and kidnappings of Nigerians, including our men and women in uniforms across the nation.

He added, “Between January and now, no fewer than 741 Nigerians have been murdered by bandits and terrorists; dozens of police formations and security checkpoints, have been attacked, leaving scores dead. An attack on a correctional facility in Owerri, Imo State, led to the release of 1,844 inmates.

“Furthermore, from the kidnap of 110 Dapchi school girls, to the kidnap of 344 students from Government Science School in Kankara, Katsina State, kidnap of 42 travellers between Kotangora and Minna, Niger State; abduction of another 27 students in Niger State; kidnap of about 300 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Zamfara State; abduction in March this year of about 30 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, who are still being held in captivity; and the abduction of the students of the Greenfield University, who were intermittently slain without any response from government. Nigeria has become an expansive field of mass kidnapping and murder under the watch of the APC-led Federal Government.”