The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tanimu Turaki has condemned the killing of a mathematics teacher among those abducted from three schools in Oyo State describing the incident as a grim reflection of what it called the worsening state of insecurity under the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said the recurring pattern of violent abductions and killings across the country showed a system that was overwhelmed and unable to respond decisively to the crisis.
The PDP said that the security crisis in Nigeria has become a daily occurrence in the lives of residents in communities instead of an infrequent national problem, Daily Independent writes.
The statement said what seemed to be rare occurrences has become normal, and accused the administration of not having the capacity and commitment to change the trend.
The latest kidnapping and assassination adds to what it called an unending chain of victims and further deepens what it called a “ransom economy” that has quietly sucked trillions of naira from ordinary homes and emboldened criminal networks across the country.
The opposition party expressed condolences to the relatives of the dead and the victims of the event and called on government authorities to go beyond the repeated assurances and public pronouncements.
It said security agencies should be made to produce tangible and consistent results instead of sporadic pronouncements and expressions of sympathy.
Targeting of schools continues to be a purposeful and deeply symbolic attack on the country’s future, the statement says.
It cautioned Nigeria, which already has one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school children, risks a further deterioration if school attacks go unchecked.
The party warned that continuing attacks on educational institutions could lead to a decrease in school attendance and literacy levels countrywide, with lasting implications on national development.
The party equally decried the frequent abduction of students under the present administration, lamenting that the government’s response has been inconsistent and inadequate in the face of the magnitude of the threat.
It called on President Tinubu to apply the same political will and strategic focus he has shown in the management of political competitions to the critical mission of saving lives and defending educational institutions across the country.
The party also pushed for a comprehensive whole-of-society security framework based on true political will, more community engagement and better institutional coordination which it said would bring about more durable results.
The conclusion was that the government confronts a defining choice: act decisively to address the security situation, or own its continuous deterioration.
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