Former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, on Thursday condemned Wednesday’s twin bomb blasts suspected to have been targeted at ex-military Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, and an Islamic cleric, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, in Kaduna.
Babangida warned against continued bloodletting in the country.
In a statement he personally signed and entitled, ‘This Bloodletting Must Stop’, Babangida said the bomb attacks have once again thrown up new dimensions in the political life of Nigeria which has been branded as a terrorist nation.
“This and several other attacks have tended to portray our dear country as a terrorist nation that is grasping with insecurity. To state the least, this bloodletting must stop. This bloodletting has to stop”.
More than 50 people were killed by the two bombs that went off moments between one another in the Kaduna metropolis on Wednesday.
Babangida said he was yet to fathom why Nigerians can be killing one another when they are not in the middle of a civil war.
He added that the incessant terrorist attacks in the country have continued to “retard our growth and democratic journey, forcing the system to improvise all manners of mechanisms to arrest this descent to anarchy”.
“It is callous and inhuman for anyone to goad this country on the path of perfidy, a path that is laid with landmines and bombs. This is totally unacceptable.”
While sympathising with President Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari and families of those who lost their lives in the blasts, Babangida enjoined Nigerians to cooperate with the President and the state Governors in finding lasting solutions to the insecurity challenge irrespective of their ethnic, religion or political differences.
“Even as I sympathise with my colleague former President, General Muhammadu Buhari, for escaping the bomber’s scalpel, I also wish to condole with the families of those who lost their lives in this attack.
“It is frightening and calls for condemnation by all well-meaning people of Nigeria. We all must rise above partisanship in our condemnation of this state of insecurity, as we all must be united in our clear-cut resolve to finding solutions to this hydra-headed situation we find ourselves.
“We must see this state of insecurity as a Nigeria problem and not one that is pigeon-holed in any particular region, religion or tribe.
“Nigerians, by virtue of their nationality, should be free to live anywhere in the country without molestation, harassment and intimidation.
“Let me also condole with Mr. President on this unfortunate incident and the recurring decimal of insecurity and crime against humanity that is fast polluting public morality.
“We all must join hands with Mr. President at this critical time of our national history and democratic journey to proffer solutions to this anti-development scenario that is fast enveloping us,” Babangida added.
Tell that to APC to allow peace to reign in Nigeria
While I am sympathising with the relatives and the loved ones of those who lost their lives, I also thank God for sparing the life of the General.
I guess it was never in your imagination that BH terrorists could ever have Maj. Gen. Buhari as a prime target.
Now that it is glaring that Bokoharamists can choose anyone to devour, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that it could be anyone’s turn to be attacked. Evil or innocent victims. Of course, it only those who God keeps that are safe from danger.
It shall soon be a heavy descend from Bokoharamists on their own major sponsors and apologists. They can’t escape it. The evil that any man does would live after the person.
Anyone that is aware of Bokoharamists modus operandi and refuses to help curb their activities is not innocent, they should expect the wrath of God.
It is in the Bible that if My (God’s) people should repent and pray, I (God) will heal their land. Even those of us who think we are innocent check ourselves and repent of our little, little misdeeds; then let us pray for the peace of Nigeria.
Even those who are the masterminds of the great evils – terrorism, looting of people’s treasury, human ritualists etc., if you can repent, forsake and restitute your old ways today; God will forgive, and the price you may need to pay for your past atrocities on earth could be moderate.
Let us all bear it at the back of our minds that whatever we sow now is what we, our children and children’s children will reap. Then, life is beyond is much more than what is obtainable on this side of eternity – where will you spend your life after death? With God in heaven or with devil in hell?
Remember the love of God. John 3:16