The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused a northwest governor of sponsoring the wave of attack, banditry, abductions and other violent crimes in the north.
The APC acting Deputy National Publicity Secretary Yekini Nabena made the allegation in a statement yesterday while urging security agencies to launch investigation into an intelligence report, which it claimed indicted the unnamed governor.
There are seven states in the Northwest and five of them are under the APC control. They are: Kaduna (Nasir El-Rufai); Kano (Abdullahi Ganduje); Katsina (Aminu Masari); Jigawa (Badaru Abubakar) and Kebbi (Atiku Bagudu).
The two PDP governors are Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara).
The APC also warned the opposition PDP to desist from politicising the abduction of schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School (GSSS) in Kankara, Kastina State by bandits.
Reacting to a protest organised by the PDP and some women at its Abuja National Headquarters, the APC accused the PDP of seeking political gains from insecurity.
According to the party, the increased spate of banditry in the Northwest was politically-motivated and not unconnected to the unnamed governor’s alleged sponsorship of banditry and other violent crimes in the zone.
The party’s spokesman said in a statement: “Our security agencies have intelligence reports linking one of the Northwest governors to collusion and sponsorship of violent and criminal activities of bandits. I won’t give details because of the sensitive and security nature of the issue.
“However, relevant security agencies must as a matter of urgency, investigate the report and determine its veracity. Human life is not what we should play political chess games with.
“We must shun enemies of the country including the PDP who seek political gains from issues of insecurity.
“Our security agencies must also be alert to plots to further destabilise the Northwest region and frustrate the quick and safe release of students abducted from the GSSS,” Nabena said.
Kidnapping for ransom and banditry have become a pain in neck of leaders in the Northwest.
Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar (III) decried the spate and concluded that nowhere was safe in the country.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Tukur Buratai also said that fleeing Boko Haram insurgents from the Northeast have become bandits in the Northwest