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Former Education Minister, Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili, has sent condolence messages to the families of five soldiers killed by gunmen in Aba, Abia State during the week.
The soldiers were murdered at a military checkpoint located at Obikabia junction, Ogbor Hill, by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) during enforcement of a sit-at-home order on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
Reacting in a statement posted on her X account on Saturday, June 1, 2024, Ezekwesili demanded answers from the military and government regarding recurring cases of violence across the country.
She also called into question the inability of security operatives to arrest, investigate, prosecute, and punish criminals, urging President Bola Tinubu to be alive to his responsibilities and secure the country.
“The #DefenceInfoNG #HQNigerianArmy: As a citizen who highly values the role of our military in this country, I condole with you and the families of the soldiers killed in Abia. May God grant their families divine comfort.
“To avoid this recurring pattern of loss of lives of our civilian and military citizens alike, can you address the Nigerian public on the degenerate state of insecurity all over the country?
“Since nobody else but the person who occupies the seat of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces #officialABAT is de facto vested with the Constitutional powers, duty and accountability to ensure the security of our country and people, can you help us, the Nigerian people, understand why the failures of rampant insecurity persist in the country?
“What exactly is the problem? We are governed by the Constitution, laws, rules, and regulations with the rule of law as our bedrock,” she stated.
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Ezekwesili noted that nowhere in the Nigerian laws are citizens put at the mercy of criminals, stressing that they're meant to be arrested and punished.
The former minister wondered if the authorities were aware that the lack of strong deterrence had further emboldened criminal gangs to reign terror on the citizens without sparing even the security forces.
She maintained that the Nigerian public deserved to know why these failures exist as public accountability is essential.