Bandits, Kidnappers Are Boko Haram in Disguise-Sultan

Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, warns that bandits and kidnappers ravaging the country are Boko Haram in disguise.

In a Statement from the Sultan, he called on Federal Government to admit to its responsibility of securing lives of Nigeria’s territory against evasion of Boko Haram under the guise of banditry and kidnapping.

The Sultan also called for a declaration of state of national emergency on security challenges facing the country with renewed energy to securing the Nigeria State.

Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III warned that Boko Haram insurgents have eventually transmuted themselves into armed bandits and kidnappers, with the aim of overrunning the country under their unholy agenda.

He, admonished the Federal Government to live to its responsibility of securing the lives of all Nigerians from the new wave of attacks.

The statement issued by the JNI Secretary-General, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, observed: “The Sultan of Sokoto is in utter disbelief and astonishment that students could be abducted from school, despite the not too long ago Kankara episode, just a few days after the kidnap of passengers on board the Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA) bus in the same Niger State.

“This is absolutely incredible, despicable and condemnable. Ordinarily, the school abduction should have been averted if there were adequate security surveillance and alertness around our boarding schools. These unfortunate trends are becoming the new normal.

“Worst still, Kagara town and by extension Niger State, has become infamous, given the serial attacks by bandits and other criminals in recent past”.

The Sultan was further quoted to have wondered, “Isn’t intelligence part of security networking? Why is it that these repeated actions have continued clandestinely without a trace? As a country, do we really understand the magnitude of these repeated orgies of events? Are we really conscious of the repercussions of these bloodletting and other criminalities? This Kagara abduction is one tragedy too many to bear”.

Sultan warned Federal Government against foot dragging on the current onslaught of bandits and kidnappers overrunning the country saying, “government must realise that decisiveness and boldness should be brought to bear in tackling this menace”.

Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III also gave the service chiefs a wake-up call to restrategise on tackling the new wave of crime using the kidnap and abduction that happened in Niger State as  Niger State as  a litmus test.

Continuing, Sultan Abubakar III said, “The government seems not to have learnt adequate lessons from the Chibok, Dapchi and Kankara debacles.

“Unfortunately, these hapless situations appear to have escaped our memories. What perplexes us in recent years of these kidnappings and abductions is that criminals brazenly act unchallenged”, he pointed out.

The Sultan also expressed dismay on why  there had not been information from government quarters relating to efforts made in the rescue process, so as to assuage the anxieties of parents and guardians of the affected victims?

The Sultan warned, “With the ongoing offensive onslaught against Boko Haram insurgency in the Northwest region by the security, other regions must remain very alert against infiltration”.

According to him, ” Abduction is a classic example of the philosophical foundation of Boko Haram – that western education is forbidden. That’s why their targets are always on boarding schools, especially science schools, considered atheistic in pedagogy.”

He therefore urged government to set out in outlining its priorities on the security challenges facing the country and frontally rise against the surge through proactive measures and nipping in the bud before it degenerates.

The Sultan appealed to Nigerians to see the security challenge as a concern for all and urged that people give intelligence information to security agents.

He asked federal government to as a matter of national emergency, secure all forests in the country “by engaging willing Nigerians under whatever nomenclature to help clear off the forest reserves of the undesirable elements, while maintaining our natural environment and eco-system.”

The Sultan commiserated with families of the killed student of Government Science College in Kagara and prayed for a safe reunion of all victims of the kidnapping and abductions to their respective families.

He also condoled with the people and government of Niger State and others under the ravage of bandits.

He prayed for Allah’s continuous guidance and strength to all those on the battlefields against all forms of lawlessness and brigandage in Nigeria.

He reminded all, “Conclusively, Allah has indeed promised to ease our affairs, after hardship. We must, therefore, seek His intervention in ending these repeated cataclysms on our country, while we also make amends in our dealings and interactions.”