France-based Niger Delta group, the Niger Delta Development Forum (NNDF), Monday, said that the activities of the Ansaru Islamic sect, an offshoot of the Boko Haram terror group, have started causing panic among Nigerians in the Diaspora .
It also expressed great concern over the killing of seven expatriate workers by Ansaru on Saturday.
“We are alarmed, uncomfortable and very sad with series of killing by Islamic sect, Boko Haram and its offshoot in Nigeria. These killings are not good for the image of the country abroad. They might have negative consequence on foreign direct investment in the country as a whole and so it has to stop now,” the group said.
NNDF President, Mr. Henry Ukrukpo, called on President Government Jonathan to undertake proper security overhaul in the nation’s security system which he described as “weak”.
“We condemn in no mean terms the barbaric killing of seven construction workers by an Islamic militant group Ansaru, an offshoot of Boko Haram.
“We sincerely want to express our condolence to the families and loved ones of the seven workers who lost their lives”, the group said in a statement released after an emergency meeting in France.
While calling on President Jonathan to strengthen the nation’s security apparatus, the group said Nigerians in the diaspora are at great risk with the trend of Boko Haram insurgents, stressing that “we are not at peace with the trend of Boko Haram.”
Though commending the steps already taken by the Federal Government to curb violent crime in the country , it urged the Federal Government to do more to equip the security forces in the country to enable them stand up to the new challenges confronting the nation.
The group also called on all Nigerians in the diaspora and the Nigerian masses to rise up to condemn the current wave of killings and kidnapping in the country.
While calling on the Islamic sect to give peace a chance, the organisation tasked President Jonathan to ensure adequate security for all expatriates working in the Northern part of the country to enable them do their job.
The group also expressed concern over the spate of unemployment and the corruption in high places in the country and therefore urged the Federal Government to redouble its effort on the fight against corruption.
Although, the group said it acknowledged the effort of the Jonathan’s government in fighting this societal menace, it stressed the need for this effort to be redoubled to rid all governmental institutions of corruption.
The Niger Delta group also lamented the scourge of power failure as well as bad state of roads in the country particularly the state of the East-West road in the Niger Delta region.
Maintaining that the image of Nigeria is highly being bastardised by the new security phenomenon confronting the country, the group also lamented that a large population of Nigerians in the diaspora who intend to return home to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country are often discouraged because of the insecurity in the country.
It would be recalled that the Islamic terror group, Ansaru, had on Saturday alerted the global community that all seven foreign hostages, including British, Greek, Italian and Lebanese citizens it kidnapped a few weeks ago in Bauchi had been killed.
The sect blamed the killing of the hostages on the British military planes sighted at the airport in Abuja which they ostensibly thought was on a major rescue mission of the hostages .
But the British Defence Ministry was to later clarify that the planes spotted in Abuja was on a mission to airlift Nigerian soldiers and equipment to Bamako, Mali to assist French forces battling Islamic extremists in that country.