The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southwest has called for a collective national effort to curb the rising wave of insecurity, warning that saboteurs within and outside the country are undermining ongoing interventions.
The party expressed concern over the resurgence of violent attacks, including killings, kidnappings and coordinated assaults across parts of the country. Recent incidents include the simultaneous abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi and Niger states and the killing of worshippers in a Kwara church, where several residents were also taken away by gunmen. All abducted individuals have since been rescued, according to government sources.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan, the South West Zonal Publicity Secretary of the APC, Ayobami Afolabi, commended the federal government and the affected state governments for their swift response, noting that coordinated security operations ensured the prompt rescue of all victims.
Afolabi warned that the pattern of recent attacks reinforces claims that terrorism, banditry and related crimes are being sponsored by internal and external forces driven by political and economic motives. He urged Nigerians at all levels to take the situation seriously and contribute to efforts aimed at restoring safety.
“In recent times, violent attacks on innocent citizens, particularly in the northern part of the country, have taken an alarming dimension. The similarity in these incidents validates the concerns of many analysts who believe that these crimes are being orchestrated by those with vested interests,” he said.
He stressed that no political ambition or economic gain is worth the lives being lost, insisting that the moment calls for “collaborative efforts and decisive actions” from both authorities and citizens. According to him, state governors must strengthen and adequately empower community-based security outfits to complement federal security agencies, while residents must support security operations with timely intelligence.
Afolabi further noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to delivering the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda across the country. He urged citizens not to succumb to divisive schemes he attributed to elements working against national stability.
“With the recent declaration of a state of emergency on security and the president’s directive for mass recruitment into the Army and Police Force, sponsors of insecurity should reconsider their actions. All saboteurs will ultimately bear the consequences,” he warned.
