USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ribadu Blames Government for Security Lapse

Ribadu Blames Government for Security Lapse

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu yesterday condemned the October 1 bombing that claimed several lives and left many people injured, saying the government and security agencies should take responsibility for the security lapse.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential aspirant spoke at the National Hospital in Abuja after his visit to victims of the bomb blasts. "The issue of security is a challenge today in Nigeria; law enforcement must take the responsibility. Government must protect its people; if you cannot protect your people, then there is no reason you should be in government," Mallam Ribadu said.

Nigerians woke up on Independence Day to two powerful car bombs near Eagle Square, venue of the independence parade, that left unconfirmed number of people dead and several others injured. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, has since claimed responsibility for the attack, a claim that has been denied by the government.

MEND, a militant group in the Niger Delta, says it is fighting for a greater share of oil revenue for the Niger Delta people. In a mail to journalists on Saturday, MEND said the attack was, "a symbolic and opportunistic attack intended as a one-off high profile reminder that the injustice in the Niger delta has not been addressed."

But in response to MEND's position, Mallam Ribadu noted that violence was not the answer. "Though I perfectly see the reason why some people may disagree and want to show their own displeasure with the way things are, but taking innocent lives is not the answer," Mallam Ribadu said. "People have lost their lives, and they are also human beings, they have families. This is injustice, injustice to them, to their own families, and to Nigerians."

"I pray that we never see such a thing again in our country. I think that the time has come for us all of us to really get serious about security issues and change this country in a way that we don't have to be confronted daily with this type of violence," Mallam Ribadu said.