* Say Nigeria Is Bleeding
By Paul Effiong, Abuja
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has given the Federal Government and security agencies a 72-hour ultimatum to secure the immediate release of more than 40 students abducted by bandits from a school in Oyo State.
Members of the caucus, led by its leader, Hon. Fred Agbedi, issued the ultimatum yesterday while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The opposition lawmakers, who decried the daily rise in cases of insurgency, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country, urged the Federal Government to focus more on the protection of lives and property than on pursuing political ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group lamented that if a retired Army general could be kidnapped and killed by bandits, it suggests that no Nigerian is safe.
They therefore called on the Federal Government to immediately overhaul the nation’s security architecture, noting that the growing menace of kidnapping, killings and general insecurity is pushing the country towards lawlessness and anarchy.
The lawmakers also expressed displeasure over what they described as attempts to silence the opposition, urging the government to stop using the courts to stifle opposition political parties and politicians.
Meanwhile, the opposition lawmakers called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately desist from relying on conflicting court rulings in what they alleged was an attempt to entrench a one-party political system in Nigeria.
The group also condemned the recent ruling of a High Court presided over by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja, which directed that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Allied Peoples Party, APP, and three other political parties be deregistered.
Consequently, they commended the Court of Appeal for halting the execution of the High Court’s ruling.
The opposition lawmakers maintained that they would continue to live up to their constitutional responsibilities by holding the government accountable to the people.
