Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, of Kano State, has said he feels sorry for Nigerians as security challenges facing the country continues to grow, saying no one is safe anymore, not even governors who are supposed to protect the people.
Ganduje whose statement came following the recent attack on Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, by a group who identified itself as ‘FUNAM’, said if Governors who move around with security are not even sure of their own safety, then he feels sorry for the average Nigerian.
Governor Ortom has on Saturday, said about 15 herdsmen, who were dressed in black, shot at him and his entourage on his farm, where he claimed that he had to run a distance of about 1.5 kilometres to escape.
Speaking to State House correspondents yesterday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Ganduje said it is worrisome that criminals could lay siege on governors.
He said, “I think it’s unfortunate, but I believe with appointment of the new service chiefs, new strategy would be developed and I think Mr. President has always been serious about this issue, but it’s rather unfortunate.
“Not only governors are being attacked, anybody who is attacked in Nigeria, one should be worried because life is life. Certainly we’re worried because a governor is supposed to have some security with him, let alone of an ordinary man who has no security.
“So you can see how serious the situation is. It’s unfortunate, but we believe we will overcome it”.
Meanwhile, Governor Ortom, while addressing journalists after the State Security Council meeting at the New Banquet Hall of the Government House, Makurdi, on Monday, said he was not the first governor to be attacked in recent times, therefore, said the unfortunate incident should not be politicized.
He said, “The Borno State governor, who is an APC governor, was once attacked. It is me today; it may be another person tomorrow.
“What we need is that all of us should join hands together to stop this because our country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and we should avoid anything that can make it explode.
“Even when this thing happened, there were patriotic Fulani men who called, so it is beyond partisan politics because any life lost can never be restored.”
Credit: PressExpress