The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the attempted robbery of the residence of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa in the early hours of Monday was a clear indication that the president lacks the capacity to secure the country.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the breach of security at a country’s presidential villa should send a clear signal to the overall security of such a nation.
“All over the world, the Presidential Villa, as the seat of power and national sovereignty, is the fortress of the nation that ought to have impregnable security,” he said.
“As such, any breach of security, particularly by outlaws and in sequence, sends a clear danger signal to the overall security of the nation.
“It is imperative to state that such security infraction, that gave way for outlaws to invade the Presidential villa in sequence, in spite of its perceptibly secured ambience, can only happen under an absentee President, who has not demonstrated the required capacity expected of his office.”
The party recalled the security breaches in June last year, involving shooting, violent combats, raids, and free use of firearms within the precinct of the Presidential Villa, arising from a bitter squabble between members of President Buhari’s family and some security aides.
While calling on the president to wake up from his slumber, review his security architecture and take decisive steps beyond his lethargic body language in order to secure the country, the party stressed that if he could not guarantee the security of the Presidential Villa, then his capacity to secure the entire country was no longer assured.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu had confirmed the burglary attempt in a statement on Monday.
He described the situation which has aroused a lot of concerns among Nigerians as ‘a foolish attempt.’
“The Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has confirmed that there ‘was a foolish attempt’ to burgle his residence at 3 am this morning, but it turned out to be unsuccessful.
“Prof Gambari, whose house is on a street next to the Villa, has assured that there is nothing to worry about from the incident.”
