April 14bomb blast in Nyanya, the suburb of Nigeria's capital Abuja, took lives of at least 75 persons and left hundreds injured. Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for the attacks, with their leader Abubakar Shekauthreatening more violence. On the same day, terrorists invaded Chibok town in Borno State andabducted over 230 female studentsfrom the Government girls' secondary school.
In his essay, Buhari calls the abduction of girls"unacceptable, condemnable,"adding it saddens him"greatly". He urges the sect to release the girls unharmed, as any other outcome would be deemed as an abominable crime.
Buhari notes that Nyanya explosion victims are irreplaceable for the nation, as they were human beings with relatives and friends who had dreams and aspirations, like the rest of us. Their close ones must now"bear a grief no person should be asked to carry."The only"crime"committed by these people, Buhari says, is their belonging to"ordinary working-class people,"being the"backbone of the working people"who worked for"modest wages"to support themselves and their families.
The insurgents, Buhari says, have declared war not against the state or the government, but against the whole nation of Nigeria. They try to frighten and divide us.
Buhari says that Nigerians are the nation of people who"seek peace, not bombs."We should not, he urges, let the insurgents believe that they have won and"allow these merchants of death to make us numb to the tragedy they manufacture". Most importantly, we should"take notice of where evil is attempting to drive us to."
Buhari, therefore, urges Nigerians to stand united against all the violence and threats, and not to be intimidated by a"small minority". He assures the evil-doers will fail, and Nigerians will triumph.
Then, Buhari urges the government to direct its efforts towards handling the"expanding menace"of Boko Haram. He emphasizes the importance of"wise and decisive"strategy, of intelligence in foiling terrorist plots, of enacting social and economic reforms"to win the hearts and minds of the people."The youths, he says, should be given an alternative so they wouldn't be lured by terrorists.
He then speaks on behalf of the All Progressives Congress, saying they"deplore and condemn"the latest and any such deadly attacks.
The APC, he admits, is competing with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, but is not going to"play politics"on the vital issue of security and tackling Boko Haram. The party seeks no political advantage from the problem and shall do nothing to undermine national security but will instead help to cooperate in the"battle against evil."
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