ACN, Ribadu Outraged Over Murder Of Party’s Vice Chairman

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the party's presidential candidate in the 2011 election, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, have expressed outrage and sadness over the murder of the party's national vice-chairman, Chudi Nwike by his abductors.

Nwike, a former deputy governor of Anambra State was abducted 19 March,in the same state, with the abductors demanding the payment of N30m ransom.

Chudi Nwike: murdered

ACN's publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed said Nwike was killed even after the ransom was paid.

In a statement issued by Lai Mohammed in Ibadan on Friday, the ACH described the killing of Nwike
as " the height of cruelty and represents a debasement of our collective humanity."

"Dr. Nwike is the latest victim of this mindless act of kidnapping for ransom, which is fast deteriorating
with the killing of innocent victims even after their families would have paid a huge ransom to secure their
release.

"This senseless act has not spared anyone, high or low, male or female, rich or poor. The fact that it has continued unabated is a sad commentary on the state of security in our nation. It is high time the authorities acted to stamp out this heinous crime," ACN said.

In his reaction, Malam Ribadu said: "This murder brings together for us, in a palpable sense, the deterioration of security of lives in the country, and the government will be over-indulging itself if it fails to take full responsibility for this slide to anarchy in the land.

"One case after another, many great contributors to the building of our nation are cut down by the bullets of assassin, and what is worse is that these murders just pass into a trail of unresolved murders.

"This is not the picture of the country we want to advertise, and, certainly, it is not the kind of society that honours and values its citizens.

"Then what type of society is this, if the fundamental guarantee to freedom of life has seized to have substantive meaning?

A pained and angry Ribadu enjoined the Jonathan government to act swiftly to stop these raging crimes in our country: "This senseless regime of murder and kidnapping must stop today. Enough is enough of this seeming lack of competence"