APC Leaders Accused of Bringing Bandits Into Nigeria Amid Rising Insecurity

A former Editor-in-Chief of the defunct Daily Times and the Nigerian Tribune, Tola Adeniyi, has stirred fresh controversy after alleging that prominent leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were responsible for the emergence of banditry in Nigeria.

His comments come at a time when the country continues to battle widespread insecurity, particularly in the North-West and parts of the North-Central region.

Adeniyi made the claims during an interview on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo.

He suggested that the crisis of banditry in the country did not happen by accident but was linked to political decisions and actions taken during past political struggles.

During the interview, he stated:

“All the leaders of the APC, all their prominent leaders said it publicly that they invited bandits into this country to drive away former president Goodluck Jonathan.

“So the bandits we have, by their own ambition, were created, enhanced and influenced by the APC. That’s why some APC leaders or their agents will say bandits are our brothers when they repent, we will re-absolve them.

“They told us that they brought bandits. They told us that when bandits needed women, they went to Chibok and gave them 360 girls. There was no way 360 girls would be taken away from anywhere on earth without government involvement. It’s not possible.

“We had the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha several times being quoted that when insurgency lasts more than a week, government has a hand in it,” he said.