The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has chided the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari over the wanton killings across the country by herdsmen, saying the Buhari administration lacks the capacity to handle the security crises confronting the country.  

The former Vice President through a statement by his Communication Adviser, Phrank Shaibu, accused the federal government of impunity. He said that thousands of people have been either killed or injured, a situation, he said, discouraged foreign investors from coming to Nigeria.

“It is now very clear, like Amnesty International said in its report, that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed gross incompetence and has failed in its duty to protect the lives of its population, which has witnessed many preventable deaths and lost many good hands,” Atiku said.

Amnesty had in its report on Monday, December 17, 2018, revealed that about 3,641 persons were killed in the herdsmen and farmers clashed, in the past three years, noting that 57 per cent of the deaths were recorded in 2018.

The Federal Government had protested that the operations of Amnesty International in Nigeria appeared to be aimed at frustrating the efforts of the military. The Nigerian Army also called for the closure of Amnesty International office in Nigeria.

Atiku described the government’s response as “tepid”; calling on Nigerians to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, as a solution to the security problems.\

“After every attack, either by herdsmen or by kidnappers, the government will vow to get the culprits and punish them. Then, more deaths will occur, and the government will repeat its vow.

“This is not reassuring to the people of Nigeria as well as foreigners who may want to do business in the country. Therefore, it is now clear that, in spite of its best efforts, the Buhari and his party, the APC, cannot stop the herdsmen and other criminal elements currently terrorizing the country,” Atiku said.