The United Peoples Party (UPP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to match his words with action by ensuring that the masterminds of Sunday’s brutal killings in Plateau State were brought to book with immediate effect.
The party’s chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie warned that 2019 political campaigns will be jeopardised if no necessary step is taken to abate killings of Nigerians.
He said that the failure of the President to order the immediate arrest of those responsible will make him to be perceived to have compromised and as such will hinder democratic process during 2019 election.
Chief Okorie said, “We are saddened beyond description by the recent massive destruction of lives and property of the people of Plateau State by bands of Fulani insurgents in a well-coordinated mayhem.
“This is one attack too many. This particular attack has attained the proportion of a genocide which has put Nigeria on the world map for reasons we should all be ashamed of.
“We fervently urge President Muhammadu Buhari to pay urgent attention to the security architecture of Nigeria.
“We urge the Nigeria Police, especially the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to deploy the same technology that he has used to crack recent armed robbery and kidnapping criminal activities where the perpetrators escaped and within a short time most of them were rounded up with the use of modern technology of which the general public has applauded the Police.
“We believe that these terrorists communicate among themselves and with their sponsors within and outside Nigeria. It is therefore unacceptable that the Police Force that has been equipped with modern technology has not been able to make any significant breakthrough or made an arrest of these bloodhounds who have made life so short and brutish in many parts of Nigeria.
“If no urgent steps are taken to check the activities of the insurgents, the political campaigns leading to the much expected 2019 general elections may be seriously jeopardized as no meaningful campaign can take place in volatile and dangerous environment, including the fact that very low and poor voter turnout will be expected in the areas that are unsafe.
“Such eventuality will not only constitute a major setback to the consolidation and growth of our democratic process, it will also be a major minus to the improved number of registered voters so far recorded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who are looking forward to participating in the 2019 general elections in an unfettered and safe environment.”
