Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has appealed for urgent measures to address security challenges confronting the northern region of the country after gunmen attack on Katsina State community where scores were killed and others kidnapped.
Atiku said that the attack on Yargoje village in Katsina has further indicated that the need for new security measures to prevent the new trend from escalating.
In a statement released on his official social media handle on Tuesday, Atiku called on the government to take decisive action against terrorism and improve security measures to protect citizens, expressing his outrage and sadness over the incessant attacks in the region.
“I am saddened by reports of the attack on Yargoje village in Kankara LGA of Katsina State, which claimed scores of lives and the kidnap of vulnerable women and children,” Atiku said.
“It is also sad that the bandits ambushed the police armored personnel carrier responding to the distress call at Gidan Tofa and Dan Nakwabo villages, killing four police officers and two members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps.”
Atiku noted that the frequency of such attacks has become worrisome, and the government’s seeming helplessness in addressing the situation is unacceptable.
“Most worrisome to me is that these acts of banditry and terrorism have become routine, with the government seemingly helpless and nonchalant about it despite the enormous annual budget for defense,” he said.
The former Vice President sympathized with the families of the victims and called on the government to take immediate action to protect the lives and property of citizens.
“I will once again call on the government to be alive to its responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the citizens,” he stated.
Atiku’s call for improved security comes as the country continues battling with insecurity, particularly in the northern regions.