Aggrieved Northern youths under the aegis of Northern Alliance Movement (NAM) have lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari for attending a book launch in Lagos last Thursday.
They expressed anger that the President chose to travel to Lagos for the book launch at a time Nigerians were grieving the 23 people, including women and children, who were burnt and killed in Sokoto last Monday.
The group disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a protest against incessant killings and security challenges in the North, which go by the tags: #SaveTheNorth; #NorthIsBleeding; #SecureOurLives among others.
The protesters condemned the action of the President, saying it was insensitive for him to have sent representatives to the North over the gruesome killing of over 20 travellers by bandits, who set their bus on fire in Sokoto.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Yahuza Getso noted, “Please, wake up from your slumber, we know you travelled to Lagos while our people were being killed. You sent representatives. But when you wanted us to elect you, when you needed our votes and support, you did not send representatives.
“You wept and cried for Nigerians. Does that mean you deceived us? We have records of your words where you asked us to vote and ensure that our vote was counted and even follow our votes to the collation centre to ensure that what we voted was what was announced.
“So we have done all that for you to become the President but what we are getting now is a disappointment. We are disappointed in you President Muhammadu Buhari.”
One of the organisers, Zainab Ahmed, popularly known as Bint Hijazi, said Buhari was only interested in power and not to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.
Zainab explained how traumatised she had been following the death of one of her friends who was kidnapped and raped to death in Katsina by eight men.
She said the rapists also sent the disturbing video of the act to her family.
Zainab said, “We are here today to tell this government that they have failed us in the sense that we are not secure. North is bleeding, Nigeria is bleeding and people are dying.
“We voted for you and you promised to secure our lives. It seems you are just after power. Women are being raped, children are being killed and farms are being razed on a daily basis.
“What have we done to deserve this neglect, harassment and being forced to keep quiet? We are telling you to your face that enough is enough. We are demanding but not begging because it is our rights; secure the North, enough of bloodshed.”
