Senator David Umaru who is representing Niger East Senatorial District and current Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights has been lambasted for daring to politicize attacks on Nigerian Military in some villages in Bosso Local Government Areas of Niger state in his Senatorial District.
A group, Stand Up for Nigeria, SUN, while condemning his utterances, described his action as a disservice to the country, for not been in solidarity with the military for unwarranted attack on some military personnel by gunmen.
A statement by its Country Director, Sunday Attah, maintained that Umaru ought to have been patriotic enough by cooperating with the military and other security agents in ridding his Senatorial District of criminals that were stockpiling arms instead of trying to cover the connection his constituents have with the recovered weapons capable of destabilizing neighboring states.
“On August 7, 2016, 11 soldiers were confirmed killed by persons now identified as gunrunners in Kopa, Dagma and Gagaw villages of Bosso Local Government Area, Niger State. In the space of barely 24 hours on Monday August 8, 2016 three soldiers were again killed in an attack on a military checkpoint at Tombi waterside in Nembe, Bayelsa State.
“Both instances mark an escalation of attacks targeting military personnel in the course of their legitimate duty to fatherland. The incidence were also linked with the quest by criminal elements to build up intimidating arsenal: the killers in Niger state were protecting their cache of weapons while the so called sea bandits in Bayelsa reportedly made away with a gunboat belonging to the military and two K2 rifles,” the group said.
He noted there are sinister objectives to the attacks, while also commending those that have spoken out against these growing attacks against the military.
Attah said, “Our position it that just as the lives of those the military personnel protect are important so also are their own lives to their families. Nigerians must therefore be in unison in condemning the attacks on the Army in the strongest terms possible. We must also go a step further by providing information that will help security agencies in tracking down these criminals even before they commit crimes.
He further condemned a situation where elites, politicians or ethnic leaders try to cover for criminals by falsely claiming the military attacked civilians.
“In our thinking, people who could kill 11 soldiers in a single attack are no longer civilians while those who provide cover and logistics to such killer groups are as involved as the murderers.
