Former Abia State governor and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, has alleged that politicians are behind the recent surge in killings and abductions across the country, claiming the violence is part of a calculated attempt to destabilise President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Kalu asserted that the pattern of attacks suggests a political agenda rather than random criminal activity.
He said the sponsors, whom he declined to name, were bent on ensuring Tinubu fails in office just as they allegedly tried to undermine former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said, “What we are seeing is always a routine, something that goes with the elections. When you have an election, people will try to pressure the government in power for all kinds of things to start happening. And you can remember when President Jonathan was here, a similar thing happened.”
The senator maintained that the rising wave of banditry and terrorism is being fuelled by both local actors and foreign interests seeking to create instability.
“The terrorists and the bandits are orchestrated by some members of the international community and local people who really want to destabilise the government,” he stated.
He insisted that the current security situation is not coincidental but linked to political manoeuvring ahead of the next election cycle. According to him, the pattern mirrors previous periods of heightened insecurity targeted at weakening the incumbent government.
Despite his concerns, Kalu expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s handling of the escalating crisis. He noted that the President had cancelled official engagements to focus squarely on national security following a series of high-profile abductions.
“For the first time, you see the president cancelling all his engagements. Today is Sunday, and he faced security challenges. He faced everything about security,” he said.
Kalu assured Nigerians that the government was working to rescue abducted victims, including recently kidnapped schoolgirls.
“Those girls will be recovered. The government is making every effort to make sure these people are recovered,” he said, adding that the current situation is “not the best of times” for the country.
He commended the military and security agencies, noting that service chiefs and operatives had “gone fully on duty” to restore calm.
