Insecurity: Killings, Destructions In Northern Region Getting Out Of Hand – Elders Cry Out

Northern elders operating under the aegis of Northern Elders for Peace and Development have decried the detoriating security situation in the northern part of the country, saying the ugly development will soon get out of hand if nothing urgent is done to arrest the situation.

The elders in a statement by their national coordinator, Engr. Zana Goni, noted that there was a deliberate attempts by some very highly placed government officials to use some unpatriotic online media to down play the true situation on ground.

While accusing those entrusted with maintaining security in the region for allegedly not giving President Muhammadu Buhari the necessary briefings and true state of the security situation in the region, the elders said that such act has further aggravated the situation in the entire region.

While declaring their full support for president Muhammadu Buhari, the elders commended him for not granting amnesty for terrorists.

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According to the elders, ransom and negotiation were two major ingredients fueling abductions and other nefarious activities of bandits and terrorists in the country.

“We write to decry the rising state of insecurity in the North East in particular and Northern Nigeria at large and the deliberate attempts by some very highly placed government officials to use some unpatriotic online media to down play the true situation on ground.

This is unpatriotic and unacceptable to us.

“We wish to draw the attention of these unpatriotic elements to the fact that engaging in this unwholesome act and at the same time expecting different result is impossible,” the group said in the statement.

The elders vowed never to be silent in the face of the worsening insecurity in their region given that farmers were not going to their farms again besides the inability of residents to sleep with their eyes closed like in the past.

They tasked security chiefs to sit up and take necessary steps to end the security challenges and not merely playing lip service.

“As a people trusted with security by Mr President, they should be patriotic to tell him the true situation of security in the North East in particular and Northern Nigeria as a whole at all time, rather than desperately trying to cover up the situation to the detriment of human lives and property,” they said.

According to the group, “We observed that the insecurity in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states is getting worse by the day. As a matter of fact, it has degenerated in last one month to a point of very serious concern.”

“We are sure that this has been so because Mr President is not getting the correct briefings from those he entrusted with security.

“It is regrettable that many people are being killed on a daily basis in the region just as tens of soldiers are being killed unreported especially in the North East.

“The ugly security development has made farmers not to go to the farm anymore. We feel Mr President should know this,” it added.

The elders charged: “Those trusted with security and welfare of our people must be sincere in briefing Mr President so that he can give them the needed support and logistics to crush the worrisome situation once and for all.”

“We are worried hence the need to speak out especially given that the affected area is our home base. We live here with our children and parents.

” It’s so disheartening to see our old parents who should be resting in their old age running helter skelter everyday for safety while some people sit in the comfort of their air conditioned cars and offices making money from our misfortunes. This is highly unacceptable and we will not be silent in calling a spade a spade. The world must know that our people are suffering, “the statement added.

The elders alleged that some online media were being used by some public officers to give false reports of the situation thereby denying the public from knowing the true security situation.

“We wish to advise those unpatriotic online media who are embellishing the situation in the North East and some parts of Northern Nigeria for personal gains that they have just one country.

” If we allow terrorists take the North from us, we will all bear the consequence, as the adversaries, having done with the North if urgent action are not taken, will spread their tentacles to other parts of the country as it’s happening already. This is why we must see beyond personal gains in our national assignment”, the group said, advising that: “National unity should be our watchword.”

They reiterated their undying love for President Buhari and his policies, saying he means well for the country but he can’t actualize his desire for the nation without the commitment of his lieutenants.

” We wish to reiterate that we love Mr President and everything about his policies. We are more than ever convinced that he has good plans for Nigeria and should not allow some unpatriotic and self-serving public servants ruin his goodwill.

“He should be reminded that any public servant who does not do his work effectively should be shown the way out immediately,” they said in the statement.

The northern elders “appealed to all the Northern governors to adopt Mr President’s position on no negotiation and amnesty for the bandits.”

“We advise that they should use the money for the supposed amnesty programme, ransom and negotiations to acquire state-of-the art platforms with a view to ending insecurity on our land once and for all,” the group said.