…As U.S govt urges its citizens to be security conscious while in Nigeria
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) has said crime of all sorts has become a means of livelihood for the electorate who are reportedly disappointed by the present administration.
The SPN claimed that in the absence of jobs, basic infrastructure, better living conditions, many people have resorted to crime.
The party alleged that the electorate who cast their votes for President Muhamadu Buhari are disappointed that he could not fulfil his promises by improving the living conditions of the citizens.
SPN in a statement issued by the duo of Comrades Abiodun Bamigboye and Chinedu Bosah, Acting National Chairperson and Secretary respectively insisted that there is a strong link between lack of jobs and poverty to crime.
The party noted that some Nigerians are engaging in criminal activities due to implementation of the anti-poor policies under the present administration.
The duo said, “In the absence of jobs, basic infrastructure, better living conditions, crime has become a means of livelihood. Hence, there is a strong link between lack of jobs and poverty to crime; crime is not only organized, but it has also assumed a mass character.
“Due to the implementation of the anti-poor policies, the capitalist ruling elite is responsible for the growing mass poverty and unemployment in the country and mass insecurity.
“The forceful abduction of over 300 school children from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, barely two weeks after the killing of 46 rice farmers in Borno, has further confirmed the obvious failure of the Buhari-led government and the capitalist ruling elite to tackle insecurity.
“There is also a growing state of insecurity in the southern part of the country with the rising cases of armed robbery, burglary, gang attacks, cultist attacks etc. Also, the government and the capitalist ruling elite have failed to end these attacks.
“It is very obvious that the bureaucratic and corrupt security architecture of the bourgeois regime has failed woefully despite the huge budget allocated to the military and police, most of it being looted by the privileged top echelon of the military and police alongside their collaborating civilian top political officeholders.
“The rank and file of the military and police are poorly paid with the poor living conditions while the top echelon lives in opulence, and this explains the reason more officers are deserting the military force.
“Besides, the families of the rank and file officers who die in the line of duties are abandoned. This is one of the reasons the SPN demands the right of security personnel to freely join a union of their choice as a means to agitate for better welfare conditions.
“We need a mass and collective response to insecurity. The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) strongly advocates well-funded and democratically controlled non-sectarian community policing and defence committee of the working masses and the poor to effectively fight insecurity and crime.”
Meanwhile, the United States Embassy in Nigeria has again asked American citizens to exercise caution while travelling and residing in Nigeria.
In a security alert published on the Embassy’s website on Wednesday, the mission said “crime was endemic throughout Nigeria ranging from petty street crime to carjacking, and crime levels tend to increase during the holidays”.
It noted, “Terrorist organizations and individuals inspired by extremist ideology exist throughout Nigeria.
“Shopping centres, airports, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, transportation hubs, street markets, and other public venues frequented by Westerners are common attack targets.”
The statement titled, ‘Holiday security alert,’ further said that criminal and other elements often infiltrate large gatherings.
It noted that public demonstrations which it said were common, could inhibit flow of traffic.
The mission admonished Americans to be aware of their surroundings, keep a low profile and carry proper identification.
The advisory advised them to “stay alert in public places and locations frequented by tourists/Westerners; review your personal security plans and use caution when driving at night and avoid walking after dark.”