The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the beheading of 43 farmers by insurgents in Zabarmari, Borno State.
Igbere TV had on Saturday reported how at least 44 rice farmers were killed by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect while harvesting their crops.
The farmers were said to have been attacked while working on a rice field at Garin Kwashebe, as residents of the state were voting to elect local government council officials, for the first time in 13 years.
In a statement forwarded to Igbere TV Sunday singed by Kola, PDP’s Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, the party described the act as extremely wicked, devilish and must not be left unaddressed.
“The PDP notes with pain that this horrific killing of compatriots comes as yet another of the recurring horrid testament and badge of failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration to secure our nation and guarantee the safety of lives and property in our country,” he said.
“Indeed, our party is distressed by the escalated killing and maiming of innocent Nigerians by insurgents, bandits and marauders, who have continued to ravage and pillage our communities, while the lazy and lethargic Buhari administration continues with its lip service, rhetoric and false performance claims.
“The PDP is particularly disturbed because of the failure of the Buhari Presidency to take decisive action despite series of concerns raised by Borno state governor, Baba Gana Zulum, of security compromises in the state.
“The Buhari administration appears helpless while our national security structure under President Buhari seems to have collapsed. Our nation appears to be on auto pilot with no one in charge while the ship of state continues to drift.
“All our nation gets from the Buhari Presidency is that ‘Mr. President is shocked’, ‘Mr. President is saddened’, ‘Mr. President regrets’ and such lame responses without any decisive policy direction or directive to definitively tackle the situation at hand, leading to escalation of killings in our country.
“Such attitude by the Buhari administration has continued to embolden insurgents to the extent that they now attack military formations, convoys of state governors and engage in wanton beheading of our compatriots.
“It is distressing that despite this sorry situation, Mr. President, who promised to lead from the front, has receded into the safety of Aso Presidential villa and refused to act on the consistent demands of Nigerians to rejig the national security architecture and replace the service chiefs with more capable hands to affectively tackle our security challenges.
“The PDP charges President Buhari to stop his unhelpful rhetoric. He should sit up and take actions that will safeguard the lives of Nigerians who have been subjected to all manners of mental and physical torture under this incompetent administration,” Ologbondiyan added.
He charged Buhari to immediately move to Zabarmari in Borno state, and empathize with the families of the victims and lead from the front in restoring security in the area.
The party commiserated with the government and people of Borno state and urged Nigerians to remain at alert particularly in providing useful information for security agencies in the fight against insurgency.
Meanwhile, President Buhari on Saturday night expressed shock over the gruesome killing of the rice farmers in Borno, saying all “necessary support” had been giving to security agents to tackle insecurity in the country.
