A former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has again decried the escalating killings and kidnappings in different parts of the country, accusing President Bola Tinubu of being unruffled by the security crisis.

In an interview on Trust TV on Monday, Mr Baba-Ahmed said the Nigerian government should be alarmed by the scale of unimaginable killings and kidnappings of innocent Nigerians especially in the northern parts of the country.

“Last week, another depressing and troubling news about an attack in a village in Borno hit Nigerians. The sheer number of people who are killed, slaughtered and abducted should have alerted any country in the world unless it’s Nigeria. It would appear that we have become so desensitised to killings in the North-West, North-Central and North-East. The massive outrage about the claim by Boko Haram has taken over some villages doesn’t appear to alarm us to do something about the killings,” the politician stated.

Mr Baba-Ahmed, who decried terrorists’ audacious attacks in the last one month, further condemned Mr Tinubu-led administration for churning out empty press statements without genuine readiness and determination to secure Nigerians.

He added, “In the last one month, including the period we have spent during Ramadan and the Lent, only God knows how many people have been killed, kidnapped or displaced by killers, kidnappers and marauders of all time. We blame each other. Muslims are killing Muslims; Christians are killing Christians. America is blaming the Nigerian government saying they’re not protecting Christians.

“In the meantime, the simple truth about it is our leadership routinely churns out statements of condemnation and then you wait for the next attack. Let’s make it very clear to our leaders: who will not stop complaining and demanding that you should do something to secure us.”

While lamenting the existential security crisis in the country, Mr Baba-Ahmed decried the rate at which soldiers and civilians are being killed, abducted or displaced by terrorists on a daily basis, adding Nigeria is losing more innocent people than even a country at war.

“From President Tinubu down to everybody who has sworn with the Bible or the Qur’an that they would protect the Nigerian citizens and prepare a context in which he or she can pursue a legitimate source of livelihood, we say to you the blood of these people is on your head.

“It’s not nice to speak like this but there’s nothing else to say. In the month of Ramadan and Lent when people are fasting, so much blood is being shed. And all we see are press statements. Where is our military? What is our military doing? The number of military people being killed along with villagers is alarming. We’re losing more people than we would if we’re in a war. Something is wrong with the way our leadership approaches our security and we should not be tired of telling them,” the politician stated.

The former presidential aide called on Mr Tinubu to fix the country’s internal security, the military and the intelligence services, charging the president to stop the bloodletting and secure Nigerians as required by the constitution. 

“We are tired. If the leadership of this country cannot stop this bloodletting, then fundamentally this country is more troubled than we imagine. It allows America to say we want to support you even if all they do in the end is to make it worse. It makes citizens lose faith in the leadership. It makes them feel as if they are abandoned. So let’s use this period to say enough is enough. Whatever must be done to fix the military, internal security and intelligence services should be done. We are tired of running away from criminals. We’re tired of the killings. Mr President, do something. We’re looking up to you to stop the bleeding,” Mr Baba-Ahmed advised.