VP Sambo visits Kano bomb victims, denies Nigerian govt behind Boko Haram

The Nigerian government is not behind the raging Boko Haram insurgency, and does not support attacks on Nigerians, Vice President Nnamadi Sambo said Monday, a day after a coalition of Islamic organisations in Nigeria said Friday’s bomb attack in Kano may have occurred to justify the government’s plan to extend emergency rule in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.

“But must blood be spilled to justify the extension of State of Emergency?” Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, which is headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, had asked in a statement Sunday. “Why is it that any time, the ineffective State of Emergency is about to elapse and or an extension is being sought, attacks are carried out with sophistication?”

But Mr. Sambo said it does not make sense for any government to attack its own people.

“It is seriously disturbing to hear people spreading rumours that Federal government is behind what is happening, while in the real sense we are doing our best to tackle it,” he said in Kano Monday.

It is not clear whether Mr. Sambo was referring to the statement issued by the JNI.

Mr. Sambo arrived Kano Monday, three days after multiple bombs tore through Kano’s Central Mosque, killing more than 100 people.

The vice president met survivors of the attack and sympathised with families who lost loved ones.

The visit was a deviation from the presidency’s response to similar attacks in the past.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been criticised for failing to visit communities and towns attacked by insurgents, instead, retaining routine government or political schedule regardless of the scale of attacks.

After the Kano attacks, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, announced the suspension of events weekend in honour of the victims.

Mr. Sambo, representing President Jonathan, arrived first at the palace of Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sunusi, before visiting Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Mosque where the attack took place.

He also visited hospitals where victims of the attack were receiving treatment.

Mr. Sambo said the federal government could not be behind Boko Haram when majority of security establishments are headed by northerners, from the Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki who is from Sokoto State, to Inspector General Abba Suleiman, who is from Jigawa State to Defense Minister who is from Zamfara State.

“Including myself Vice President from Kaduna State Zaria, so with all these high profile Security operatives in the government and other sensitive positions control by the Northerners they can never be party to these heinous acts been perpetrated by the terrorists,” the vice president said.

Mr. Sambo said the attacks should be politicized.

“Security and politics should not be put together in this context, this business is more than what people think, rather they should be seen cooperating with the security in tackling this problems then politicizing it,” Mr. Sambo warned.

“In any case, like I said earlier, I don’t see all these top security echelon who hold highly placed and sensitive positions in the Security circle of this Government conniving with the Insurgents to kill their own people. Does it make sense?

Mr. Sambo said the government has since directed the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to distribute relief materials where necessary, and that they have ordered for a large quantity of blood from their blood bank in Kaduna and Katsina to be given to those in need of it.

Mr. Sambo also urged the Emir of Kano, Sunusi Lamido, to enlighten his subjects against accusing the federal government, saying they should know that government is rather with them not with the Terrorists.

Earlier, Governor Kwankwaso urged the federal government to be more proactive in tackling the insurgency, by providing all the necessary military hardware and welfare to them.

He assured that in Kano all the security operatives of police, military, State Security Service, SSS, and others are working together to succeed in the fight.

Also the Emir, Muhammad Sunusi II, charged the Federal Government to ensure that all the culprits are exposed and dealt with appropriately, adding that something serious should be done to checkmate the terrorists.