Worried over the incessant bloodletting, especially in the northern part of the country, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) Kaduna State branch, has called on the Federal Government to declare a full-blown war against terrorists and bandits behind the ongoing murder in the country.
The association, otherwise known as Pyrates Confraternity, has also told the Federal Government to be alive to its constitutional role of protection of life and property and stop the daily rhetoric and issuance of press releases commiserating with families of the victims of the dastardly act.
President of the Kaduna chapter of NAS, Henry Onyiah, in a statement, called for a state of emergency to be declared if necessary.
NAS reiterated the urgent need for the implementation of an end-to-end strategy for not just the restoration but the long-term maintenance of law and order in all parts of Nigeria.
“In addition to this, those charged with the responsibility for implementing and operationalising the strategy must themselves be fully held personally culpable for lapses within their areas of responsibility.
“There is a need to consistently review performance and dispense with identified incompetence without prejudice and delay,” it said.
It further said with sincerity of purpose, that the security problem is not insurmountable.
According to the statement, “The last several weeks have seen an intensification of the activities of criminal elements in various parts of Kaduna State from the series of terrorist attacks by bandits in Giwa Local Government Area to the resurgence of a wave of attacks and violence around the Jema’a/Kaura/ Zangon Kataf Local Governments Area, all resulting in various harms to innocent residents.
“This progressed to a breach of the Kaduna Airport perimeter about a week ago and then barely a few days after, perhaps working to a predetermined and expertly scripted plan, an attack on a Kaduna bound train resulting in the murder, injury, and abduction of passengers on board the train – an unprecedented act that we struggle to find precedence anywhere in the world.
“As if motivated to demonstrate the perceived hollowness of the often-repeated assurances by the government about her determination to contain these criminal elements, the Ungwar Bulus community in the Sabon Tasha area within the Greater Kaduna Metropolis (and near the Kaduna Petrochemical and Refining Company) was again attacked resulting in the loss of lives and abductions during the night of 31st March forcing residents to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring communities overnight. In the intervening period, there have been several unconfirmed reports of attacks on the Kaduna – Abuja Highway.
“The Kaduna chapter of the National Association of Seadogs while viewing the current situation through the lenses of residents of Kaduna State, considers it indeed bewildering that despite the clear identification of what needs to be done to mitigate against the high risk of various harms to law-abiding residents, as well as damage and destruction of property including critical infrastructure by criminal elements acting with astronomically increasing frequency and ruthlessness, the response of the government appears to be one driven by an inordinately high threshold and risk appetite that gives the impression that what is an abnormality appears to be accepted as normal.
“From whatever angle residents look, there appears to be glaring evidence of a wide gulf between the constitutionally defined primary purpose of government to provide security and welfare of the people on one hand and the perceived attitude in respect of this purpose by those in whom is vested executive powers of the Federation on the other.”
Culled from This Nigerian Online Newspapers Pg 31
