Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the latest bomb blasts at the Kano Central Mosque today, even as he also condemned previous bomb blasts in Kontagora (Niger) and Maiduguri, capital of Borno.
In a statement in Abuja by his media office, the former Vice President said he was devastated personally by the frequency and brutality of terrorist attacks on innocent people, adding that this ceaseless violence has achieved nothing.
According to him, the attacks on mosques, churches, schools, bus stations, markets, shopping plazas and other heavy human targets, have defied the teachings of all known religions of the world.
The former Vice President said that his heart always bleeds at this senseless violence, adding that it was high time the Boko Haram terrorists abandoned violence and embraced peace once and for all.
While calling on Nigerians to be more vigilant and share human intelligence, he called on the country’s security forces to be ahead of the terrorists with better strategies.
He acknowledged however that terrorism is a relatively new security challenge, but that more efforts are needed to improve detection of terrorists before they reach their targets.
He called for rigorous public education to help ordinary Nigerians identify suicide bombers before they reach their intended targets.
He regretted that many ordinary Nigerians behave indifferently in the presence of terrorists because they lack trained eyes to detect terrorists.
The former Vice President commended the sacrifices of the nation’s security forces, but called for faster and more rigorous response to terrorist threats.
According to him, the ease with which terrorists break through security checkpoints is frightening and must not be allowed to continue.
He expressed his condolences to the people and government of Kano State, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the Kano Emirate as well as the families of all those who may have been killed in the heinous attacks in Kano, Kontagora and Maiduguri.
Meanwhile, the Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF), through their Chairman and Governor of Niger state, Mu’azu Aliyu, has condemned the terror attack in Kano.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Israel Ebije, Governor Aliyu expressed sadness at how security in the Northern States has taken a turn for the worse in recent times saying no one is spared.
He said the attack on the mosque where Emir Sanusi ll worships is another sombre reminder of how much disregard those behind terror attacks in the North have on the traditional institution and on the sanctity of human lives.
He said that the position of Sanusi II on the need to protect communities against those perpetuating violence must remain sacrosanct adding that nobody should be intimidated by evil perpetrators, saying good will surely triumph over evil.
Governor Aliyu however maintained that the war against terrorism is not an exclusive preserve of security operatives alone but everybody’s business.
He said that it is time to place everybody under high security alert adding that strange faces and objects must be promptly reported and investigated.
Also, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has expressed shock and disbelief over the three bomb explosions.
ACF described the bomb blast aimed at Muslim worshipers in the mosque as wicked, callous and barbaric.
A statement by ACF National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, noted that the recent bomb explosions in Yola, Maiduguri, Azare, Kontagora and many other towns in the North coupled with the daily killing of innocent people by insurgents is very disturbing and worrisome.
“This insecurity situation that have engulfed the North is a clear manifestation of Federal Government’s inability to protect the people as intelligence and equipment required to contain the situation appears lacking.
“ACF urges the people of Kano in particular to exercise some restrain, remain calm and avoid taking the law into their hands or blamed innocent people that have lived with them peacefully.
“We equally call upon the people to unite and protect themselves through intelligence sharing with security agencies and community leaders.” [myad]
