Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over Saturday’s attack on a train station in Igueben LGA in Edo state during which an unknown number of people were killed. kidnapped by armed men.
He added that it is unacceptable for terrorists to plan attacks of this nature, mobilize weapons and ammunition, secure financing and move large numbers of people across large spaces without being detected by security agencies.
A press release signed by the Atiku Media Office on Sunday noted that the unfortunate incident “is the latest in a long line of reprehensible security breaches never before seen in our national history.”
While expressing his condolences for the victims of the attack and their families, the frontline presidential candidate said, “The thoughts of my family and myself are with the abductees and their families as we pray for their safe return.”
He further remarked that, “as we pray, it is important to also note that this serves as the latest reminder on the urgent need to reform our security architecture to better safeguard the lives and property of Nigerian citizens.”
The former vice president outlined the means through which national security could be improved to include amending the Constitution to allow state and community policing as the first line of security.
He also noted that the nation’s security apparatus must pay a higher premium to intelligence gathering and crime prevention than the current reactive approach.
“It is unacceptable for terrorists to plan attacks of this nature, mobilize weapons and ammunition, obtain funds and move large numbers of people across large spaces without being detected by security agencies,” he said.
He pointed to the use of technology to track these terrorists and degrade their existing ability to attack people across the country.
In addition, the PDP presidential candidate called for “applying the necessary diplomatic pressures to stop the free flow of small arms and assault weapons into the West African sub-region and across our borders.”
“By doing this, we will severely restrict the ability of terrorists to rearm to carry out attacks.”
Atiku said these policy proposals should be followed up by “greatly reducing the number of out-of-school children on our streets and improving the economy to create jobs for large numbers of unemployed Nigerians, thereby reducing the pool from which these terrorists recruit people for their nefarious activities”. .”
According to him, “I believe that these actions will go a long way in reducing incidents of insecurity and providing the safe environment necessary for economic growth.”
He said he will commit to implementing the initiatives if Nigerians entrust him with their mandate and elect him as president in next month’s elections.
