Atiku denounces explosions, decries culture of impunity

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denounced the blast at the PDP rally in Suleja on Thursday and decried the emerging culture of impunity taking root in Nigeria.

Also yesterday, the Minister of Police Affairs, Humphrey Abah, said the “act was not only dastardly, callous and wicked, but condemnable in all its ramifications.”

The former vice president, in a statement by his media office in Abuja, said failure of the authorities to bring perpetrators of previous dastardly acts to book might have emboldened others to unleash more terror on innocent people.

The statement reads in part: “Atiku described as a very dangerous precedent the trend of introducing explosives at a rally venue where huge population was expected to turn out to hear the messages of candidates.

“He urged the security operatives in the country to step up investigation into Thursday’s and other blasts, as these remain threats to the April polls.

“He described the action as wicked, inhuman and unacceptable and urged security operatives to leave no stone unturned in apprehending these enemies of Nigeria.

“He said that there can never be a justification for a resort to bombings to commit mass murder.

“He expressed his condolences to families of those who lost dear ones and the injured, the people and government of Niger State and the PDP.

Abah, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, James Odaudu, in Abuja, said the police had swung into action and were on the trail of the perpetrators of the violent act, saying that they were sure to catch up with them and their sponsors.

The statement reads in part: “According to the minister, it is evil for anybody to embark on wanton destruction of lives and property under whatever guise and for whatever reason. He charged the populace to join hands with the security agencies to stamp out the fast growing culture of violence.”