The presidency in Nigeria has reacted to the viral video of the remaining Abuja-Kaduna train abductees being flogged and humiliated by their abductors.
The armed terrorist group, who attacked the Kaduna-bound train on 28 March, 2022, released the video over the weekend.
‘Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves. If you [do not] adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining. By God’s grace, El-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring you here’, the terrorists threatened in the video.
They threatened to kill and sell off the helpless captives and also kidnap President Buhari and the Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai.
Reacting to the viral video in a statement, the presidency said that the country’s security forces were not relenting in their duties, calling on the civilian population and the communication service providers to join in the fight against terrorism.
‘The presidency, in the meantime, wishes to reassure the public that the president has done all, [and] even more than what is expected of him as commander-in-chief by way of morale, materiel [and] equipment support to the military [and] expects nothing short of good results in the immediate’, the statement read.
‘The country’s security and defence forces are not clueless or helpless. They have their plans and ways of doing things which they will not display in the media’.
The aforementioned abductees have been in captivity for nearly four months due to no fault of theirs.
Barely three weeks ago, the president had expressed disappointment in the country’s intelligence operatives after the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory was attacked by terrorists who freed over 800 inmates including 64 Boko Haram suspects.
Nigeria is currently ranked sixth on the 2022 Global Terrorism Index (GTI). These unfortunate situations and general insecurity in the country only reinforces the failure of government to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.
Rather than take decisive military action, the president and his aides only come out to ‘lament’ to Nigerians about the state of things.
The Nigerian constitution clearly spells out whose duty and responsibility it is to protect Nigerians.
‘Security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government’, section 14, subsection two (b) of the 1999 constitution reads.
The incessant and general insecurity bedeviling Nigeria only shows a failure of the security architecture and leadership to do the needful to protect citizens.
President Buhari should review the country’s security formations and take immediate and decisive action to rescue the train passengers and subdue the terrorists. This is the basic function of government in a situation like this.
As for the country’s federal lawmakers, they should bring to bear and fully exercise their constitutional responsibility of oversight of the federal government and its agencies charged with the responsibility of providing public services and defence of the country.
Photo source: Paul Kagame
