PDP slams Kwara gov’s response to bandit attack

The Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State has criticised Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq’s response to the recent bandit attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, describing it as cosmetic and devoid of concrete reassurance for victims.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Wednesday, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, faulted the governor’s reaction to the attack, which left at least 10 residents dead.

The reports that assailants struck the Woro and Nuku communities late on Tuesday night, killing residents and setting several houses ablaze, forcing many villagers to flee.

Condemning the attack, the PDP described it as “gruesome, despicable, inhuman and callous,” noting that a former Students’ Union President of a tertiary institution in the state was among those killed.

This is a wicked act that no human should ever inflict on fellow human beings,” the party said.

The opposition party said the incident once again exposed what it described as the failure of the state government to effectively tackle insecurity.

According to the PDP, Kwara state required far more than “propaganda, photo-ops and hollow sympathy messages” to confront insurgency and banditry.

This incident is yet another reminder that what Kwara urgently needs is decisive, practical and people-oriented leadership,” the statement read.

Adewara said the governor’s official communication on the incident was “merely cosmetic and completely lacking in hope or concrete reassurance for the wounded victims and the devastated community.”

The party argued that a responsive government would have taken immediate steps to support those affected.

“A responsible government would have ordered the immediate deployment of humanitarian relief and medical emergency services to assist the victims and help the community cope with this painful tragedy,” the statement added.

The PDP also accused the governor of presenting a distorted picture of the security situation in the state.

“Unfortunately, the governor’s statement is riddled with self-adulation and a misleading portrayal of security in Kwara State,” it said, insisting that insecurity remained widespread.

The party further noted that kidnappings and attacks on villages were still ongoing across the state.

As at press time, citizens are still being kidnapped and villages continue to suffer attacks, despite repeated claims that insurgents are being decimated,” it stated.

The PDP called on the state government to urgently deploy humanitarian aid, relief materials and medical support to the affected communities, while urging security agencies to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

While mourning with the people of Woro and Nuku, the party extended its condolences to the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Omar Shehu Muazu, Kiyaru II, and prayed for the eternal rest of the deceased and lasting peace in Kwara state.

Culled from punch