Insecurity: Atiku asks Tinubu to resign

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Bola Tinubu to deal with marauding terrorists in the country or resign.

Mr Atiku was responding to the recent ambush on a military convoy, which resulted in the killing of soldiers, including a Brigade Commander, M Uba, who had led troops on an operation when he was captured in the Damboa-Biu axis of Borno State.

Also, bandits in the troubled North-west Kebbi State on Monday abducted 25 schoolgirls of the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area.

Mr Atiku alleged that Mr Tinubu was concentrating on decimating the opposition parties instead of taking full responsibility as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to decisively deal with the myriad of security challenges across the country.

Mr Atiku also accused the military leadership of non-accountability in its operations by failing to state clearly how the Brigade Commander and his soldiers lost their lives.

“I am deeply saddened and extremely shocked and disturbed by news making the rounds of the killing of Brig. Gen. Musa Uba by terrorists and the failure of the military hierarchy to clearly explain how it happened or what went wrong, as initial official denials indicated that this was not the case.

“This for me is unequivocally a failure of political leadership as the President seems only more interested in decimating the opposition by all means possible, while forgetting his crucial role as Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces,” Mr Atiku stated in a Facebook statement late Monday.

Mr Atiku said Mr Uba’s death, along with the deaths of some of the troops he was leading, is one death too many and a bold terrorist resurgence our dear country can not afford.

He urged all citizens and our military leaders to take heart, as even this season shall pass away.

“To Mr President: the security of the lives of our people is your primary responsibility and you must live up to it or be humble enough to admit incompetence and either ask for help or resign.

“If I were President, I would order the military to occupy Borno State or any state under siege by bandits or armed groups until they clear those areas. We must care enough for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our sake.

“I offer my condolences to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the family of the bereaved and indeed to all Nigerians. May this dark period pass over us as a nation, sooner than later,” Mr Atiku stated.

The Nigerian government has vowed a swift rescue for 25 girls kidnapped from their secondary school in Kebbi.

Information Minister Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Monday, said the government “condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.”

“Our security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice,” Mr Idris wrote.

“The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved.”

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State.

“The government condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.”