Following Boko Haram’s attack on Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, on Monday, the Arewa Consultative Forum, has declared that Nigeria is obviously under siege.
The forum leadership therefore, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take drastic measures in identifying and and setting up a dialogue with the real leaders of Boko Haram with the aim of swiftly finding a solution to the bloodbath region.
The forum’s position was made known in Kaduna on Monday, through a statement signed by Muhammad Ibrahim, its National Publicity Secretary.
In the statement, ACF’s leader Prof Ango Abdullahi lamented the silence of former Heads of State, ex-president and current political leaders from the Northern part or the country for keeping mum despite the senseless bloodbath going on in the region.
“The invasion of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, despite the presence of huge security operatives, shows that the level of insecurity in the North-East of Nigeria had gone beyond the nation’s military capacity,” Ibrahim said in the statement.
“We, at ACF, feel saddened and really disturbed by the invasion of Damaturu by Boko Haram insurgents, resulting in the killing of innocent people and destruction of property.
“ACF notes that Nigeria is gradually sliding into anarchy with territories being seized and taken over by insurgents without any serious counter resistance from our military. This situation clearly demonstrates that our security agencies are poorly equipped to contain the spread of insurgency.”
The forum promised to continue calling on the government to discharge its responsibility of providing proper security and good governance.
“ACF also sympathises with people and government of Borno and Yobe States over this unfortunate invasion and bomb blast that have killed many people and left scores injured,” ibrahim added.
While condemning the deadly activities of the Boko Haram, especially the bombing of the Kano Central Mosque last Friday, Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) warned the government against any attempt to use violence to infringe on the rights of Nigerians to vote freely in the 2015 general elections, saying such move would be vehemently resisted.
In a statement signed by one of its leaders, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission, NEF expressed concern over the silence of the past Heads of State, ex-President and political leaders, saying it is an indication of their complacency that violence has broken the spirit, economy and political capacity of the people of the North.
“The Kano massacre, during Jumaat prayers last week, stands out as one episode that highlights the degree to which citizens in the Northern states lived at the mercy of terror,” Baba-Ahmed said.
“More shocking than the massacre and the continuous occupation of Nigerian territory is the silence of leaders from the North, particularly former Heads of State and those who hold political positions today.
“By their silence, people of the North are beginning to treat them as complacent in the apparent conspiracy to break the spirit, economy and political capacities of the people of the North.”
