Opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the killing of about 40 persons by bandits in Plateau community, saying escalating insecurity in the country further exposes President Bola Tinubu’s government propaganda that security is improving.

“Monday’s reported killing of more than 40 persons in Zurak village in Wase Local Government of Plateau State,” Mr Abubakar said, “is a reminder of the escalating state of insecurity, which contradicts the propaganda of this administration that security is improving.”

A former vice president between1999 and 2007, Mr Abubakar, in a statement circulated on his social media accounts on Wednesday, said, “Bloodletting and continued waste of precious human lives is not acceptable,” adding that reported killings “in recent times put a lie to Mr Tinubu’s claim.”

Mr Abubakar called for urgent action in the creation of state police to tackle the insecurity menace across the country.

“It is about time that the issue of State Police is approached with the urgency that it deserves. I need to warn that community policing as being canvassed in some quarters can never be a substitute to State Police,” Mr Abubakar said.

At least 40 persons were killed as bandits raided Zurak, a village in the Wase Local Government area of Plateau state, on Monday.

However, two days after the Zurak Village attack, Mr Tinubu’s government has remained silent.

In recent times, Plateau communities have been under attack as bandits continue to raid, kill harmless citizens and torch houses.

An attack that lasted two days last December left about 150 dead and hundreds displaced.