Tukur laments blood shedding, craves foreign intervention

[TGD]

• JTF kills four insurgents in Yobe

NATIONAL Chairman of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Tuesday night lamented the level of blood shedding in the country and declared that Nigeria is under severe attack by those he described as evil men working for their selfish interest.

Tukur, who spoke in Ganye during his condolence visit to Ganwari Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Adamu Sanda, to commiserate with him on the last weekend massacre of 25 people in the area by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect, said the attack was a confirmation that Nigeria is under attack.

"Our nation is under attack, it is no longer the issue of PDP, ACN, or CPC, all Nigerians are involved, all of us should come together and face these challenges. It is happening in Abuja, Adamawa, Kano and Lagos, nowhere is now safe for us", he said.

Tukur, who appealed to other countries that are friends of Nigeria to extend their hands of friendship and assist Nigeria tackle insecurity which he noted is threatening the unity of the country, pointed out that it is the responsibility of all Nigerians to put their political differences aside and confront the challenge.

"It is for all Nigerians and all Nigeria's friends to come together and proffer lasting solutions, and confront these evil acts being perpetrated by people who are out to cause trouble in the country."

The PDP national chairman, who claimed that the current administration is confronting insecurity with all seriousness, appealed to the media to help the government educate Nigerians on the danger the crisis would cause the nation if they fail to cooperate with government to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

Tukur further appealed to all Nigerians to "refocus their ideas on the crisis" and not to blame it on a particular section of the country or religion, saying everybody should participate by coming out with unadulterated ideas on how to tackle the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians.

Meanwhile, some gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect members have ambushed a military post of the Joint Task Force (JTF) with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and petrol-bombs at Geidam, leading to exchange of gunfire that lasted for an hour at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to a resident, the shooting spread to Hausari and Bulabulin wards of the towns, forcing many people to scamper for safety by shutting off their houses and shops till the early hours of yesterday.

Geidam is a border town with Niger Republic and the homestead of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, 180 kilometres north of Damaturu, the state capital.

The JTF spokesman, Lt. Lazarus Eli, in a statement yesterday said the gunmen were repelled, with four of them killed while many arms and ammunition were recovered.

"The attack was repelled by the JTF troops. Four of the gunmen lost their lives in the duel, while three AK 47 rifles, five rifle magazines and 72 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered."

Lazarus assured all law-abiding and peace-loving people of the state of JTF's unflinching commitments to full restoration of peace and security in the state.

The Guardian