ACN expresses concern on insecurity, killings

The Action Congress of Nigeria on Sunday called on the security agencies in the country to intensify efforts at identifying those behind the escalating political killings and violence in the country.

A meeting of the zonal youth leaders of the party that was held in Abuja raised the alarm that the political killings that were going on in some states needed a proactive response from the police and other security agencies.

The National Youth Leader of the ACN, Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, said the attacks on defenceless citizens in Borno State and the attack on the governorship candidate of the ACN in Benue State, Prof. Steve Ugbah, were pointers to the worsening security situation.

“The youths are concerned with the constant threat to security of lives and property in several states of the federation. It appears the Federal Government is handling the matter with kid gloves because none of the perpetrators of the dastardly acts has been brought to book,” he said.

In the same vein, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ali Lai Mohammed, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to take urgent security measures to end the killings of its members particularly in Benue and other states.

Mohammed said this in a statement on Sunday.

“This is the time to tackle this issue, not when those being targeted decide to fight back and things get out of hand, and the government then resorts to setting up a panel to find the cause, as it happened after the post-election violence in several northern states.”

The party noted that the murder of some of its members which it described as “systematic annihilation” in some states was because the party was ready to challenge the governorship elections in some states.

“Ayede’s gruesome murder falls into a pattern of threats and attacks against ACN members in Benue, and that it is part of a campaign aimed at frustrating the party’s decision to challenge the election of Gov. Gabriel Suswan at the tribunal,” the statement read.

The ACN youth leader told our correspondent that the situation had become worrisome because the violence had not abated even after elections had been concluded.

“The attack on the governorship candidate of the ACN, the killing of his aide, Mr. Steve Ayede, at a time when Nigerians were still mourning the death of the 10 members of the National Youth Service Corps that were killed in the post election violence is highly unacceptable,” Ebikibina said.