While in office, former president Muhammadu Buhari seemed to ignore Southern Kaduna, a region that is both close to the capital and plagued by persistent security issues, according to former senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna State.
While Buhari has visited countries all over the world, Sani pointed out in a recent interview with The Sun that he has ignored a region just outside of Abuja. "Have you ever seen Buhari visiting Southern Kaduna to commiserate with the victims, even to fly by helicopter?" "Why?" Sani asked.
The distance between Abuja and Southern Kaduna - how many minutes? Barely five minutes. The issue is geographically ironic, the former senator pointed out, since Southern Kaduna shares a border with Abuja.
If you want to send this individual flying out of Abuja, he will have to go through Southern Kaduna, but he can go wherever in the globe. It seems the previous administration was completely unconcerned, as Sani pointed out.
Sani went on to criticise not only Buhari but also Nasir El Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, for what he saw as their indifference to the security problems in Southern Kaduna. Banditry and communal violence have long plagued the area, with several reports of attacks on local villages throughout the years. The possibility for constructive reform under the present government was pointed out by Sani.
He went on to say, "Today, you have a governor who can reach out to the people in Southern Kaduna and he can talk to their leaders and console the victims," implying a more proactive stance from the current administration.