Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has called out former President Muhammadu Buhari over the rate of terrorism in the country.
He blamed Buhari's administration for the high rate of terrorism.
According to the former Governor, his recommendations for containing the crisis were disregarded.
The comments were made at the swearing-in of his successor, Senator Uba Sani, in Kaduna.
“In 2017, I proposed that the government classify the burgeoning banditry issue as an insurgency and call in the military. Regrettably, the call went unheeded until 2022 following a Federal High Court ruling.
“It’s a shame that the government did not recognize the seriousness of the situation until banditry had inflicted substantial damage on people’s lives, freedoms, and livelihoods,” El-Rufai stated.
He acknowledged that while a coordinated military response did commence later in 2022, it is yet to be completed.
El-Rufai added, “I thus implore the government to maintain pressure on bandits, insurgents, and terrorists, ensuring that military action is thorough and simultaneous across the seven most affected states – six in the Northwest and Niger.”
Reflecting on his tenure in Kaduna, El-Rufai stated that his administration worked diligently to tackle the security issues head-on.
He added, “The steps we took ensured no statewide crisis occurred over the last eight years.”