Abuja Bombings: Atiku Asks Nigerians Not to Submit to Terrorists Blackmail

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, October 4th, 2015

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians not to despair and give in to terrorists’ blackmail, which he said, is the Boko Haram’s psychological tool for intimidating and forcing citizens into surrender and inaction.

Reacting to the latest multiple bomb blasts in the suburbs of Abuja, the first since April 2014, the former Vice President says it was clear that by targeting suburban Abuja, the Boko Haram terrorists wanted to persuade Nigerians to believe they are invincible, and thereby paralyse the country with fear and force it into submission. Atiku, however, urges Nigerians not to be deceived by such desperate tactics by the Boko Haram militants that primarily target non-combatants or innocent and defenceless civilians.

According to the former Vice President, the Boko Haram terrorists have been militarily degraded by the new offensive strategy adopted by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which have sent the militants packing from towns and villages they previously captured and occupied.

He said that the terrorists are bitter and frustrated that the Buhari administration is now taking the war to the enemy camp, which has forced them into disarray.

Atiku said that the massive territorial losses suffered by the terrorists and the blockade of their weapons supply lines, have significantly reduced their operational capabilities in terms of direct confrontation with the counter-terrorism forces.

The former Vice President says the obvious intention of the Boko Haram militants was to unleash their frustrations on innocent civilians to whom they have easier access.He adds that, by targeting civilians, the terrorists’ main propaganda objective was to strike paralysing fear into the hearts of Nigerians in order to turn public opinion against the government’s genuine and robust efforts to neutralise and defang them.

He said that the Boko Haram bandits were offering a last ditch resistance in desperate move to deceive Nigerians that they were invincible.

The former Vice President adds that he was fully satisfied with the new rigorous and no-nonsense strategies introduced by the APC led Buhari administration.

He appeals to Nigerians not to despair in the face of the latest terrorist intimidation and harassment through the deliberate and indiscriminate destruction of lives.

Atiku said he was convinced, given the sincerity of the Buhari administration, the country would see the back of terrorism.He conveys his condolences to the grieving families of the victims, and his sympathies to the maimed and injured.

He also calls on Nigerians to be extra vigilant because terrorists exploit the slightest ignorance of the citizens about the behaviour, characteristics and stealthy moves of suicide bombers into unsuspecting crowds of people.