Sokoto bus attack: Government needs to wake up, says JNI

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has condemned the recent killing of travellers in Sokoto state.

Twenty-three persons were burnt to death on Monday, when the bus they were travelling in was shot at by suspected bandits.

Condemning the incident in a statement issued on Thursday, Khalid Aliyu, secretary-general of the organisation, said the federal government needs to be more proactive.

“Nigerians are desperately yearning for concrete actions against all forms of criminalities,” the statement reads.

“Silence is not golden given the most unfortunate spate of horrendous butchery of human lives in the Nigerian state.

“The Federal Government should be seen to be proactive on security matters, as well as assure and assuage citizens’ fears at critical moments of grief.”

While describing the attack on the travellers as “senseless and barbaric”, JNI also condemned “other equally disheartening bloodletting and carnage”.

“Likewise, all other acts of arson attacks, attempted jailbreaks, bomb blasts in Oyo, Kogi, Plateau, Yobe and Borno states and many of such reprehensible acts, stand condemned by the JNI,” he said.

“Government needs to wake up as citizens are becoming more and more agitated.

“Government should take the bull by the horn by prosecuting promoters of hate speech and tame the rising cases of banditry in Nigeria, otherwise it will become a norm that cannot be challenged.

“While we continue to express our sincere condolences to all the victims of these unfortunate killings, we are calling on politicians and non-governmental organisations to strengthen their cooperation and synergy to find lasting solution to the spates of killings and destructions.

“We equally call on citizens to continue striving for peaceful co-existence and eschew every act of crime.”