Wike says the insecurity across Nigeria came about as a result of his prayers against Buhari

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that the current spate of insecurity across the country is the outcome of his prayers to God in 2016 when President Buhari failed to come to the assistance of his people.

Over recent months, Nigeria's security situation has deteriorated badly with kidnappers, bandits, armed Fulani cattle herdsmen and Boko Haram all stepping up their reigns of terror. Across northwest Nigeria, bandits have been kidnapping boarding school pupils in a weekly basis now, only releasing them for ransom fees or in exchanged for their imprisoned colleagues.

Highly embarrassed by the powerlessness of his government to do anything about it, President Muhammadu Buhari has tried to stem the ride of violence over the past week by ordering the security forces to shoot anyone caught with an AK47 assault rifle. He also ruled out a blanket amnesty for all hoodlums and imposed a no-fly zone over Zamfara State from where the bandits operate, in a bid to deny them supplies of food and ammunition.

Saying President Buhari is serving penance for his acts against Rovers State, Governor Wike said that when he came into office, he  met a state being ravaged by kidnappings and all forms of criminal activities in 2016. He added that he ran to the federal government for support but was turned down by President Buhari.

According to Governor Wike, the President Muhammadu Buhari government refused to offer any help but instead accused him of killing and kidnapping members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He said for this reason, he asked the people of the state to go down on their knees and ask that the insecurity becomes a national issue.

Governor said: “In 2016 when we came on board there was so much insecurity in the state and I was shouting. I ran to the federal government to give me special forces as I hear you give to others but they said no.

“They said that I was killing APC people, so I came back home and told our people, everybody kneel down and pray and call God that this insecurity will consume the whole of Nigeria and Nigeria will not know what to do again. I told them that if you don’t apologise to Rivers State, you’ll never see peace and that’s what’s happening in this country today.

“Their governors that were saying that we were killing APC people and that kidnappers were PDP today what’s happening in Kaduna? Today what’s happening is Borno? Today what’s happening is Ondo? What’s happening all the areas? But Rivers State is peaceful.

"I challenge them to say to say they gave me any support for one day. This is the only state where a governor cannot choose who’ll be a commissioner of police and since 2015 till now we’ve had about 15 police commissioners just to make sure Rivers State does not move forward."