"Seek foreign help to end boko haram" - Atiku tells Jonathan

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed anger and sadness at the bombings of the  in the suburbs of Abuja that left scores dead and many injured.

In a statement by his media office in Abuja, he said this needless bloodletting cannot continue unabated, adding that it requires new strategies to nip it in the bud.

While describing those behind the bombings as evil and callous  with scant regard for the sanctity of human life, Atiku said the latest bombings by insurgents should be a wake-up call to all Nigerians on the imperative of ending the blame game and working together to end this scourge.

“As a country, we are not doing enough of focusing on and implementing solutions. We are all guilty of expending endless energy on handwringing and the trading of blame, none of which is able to save lives or change the status quo,” the former Vice President said.

The former Vice President recalled that government had in February this year spoken about its successes in pushing Boko Haram to the “fringes” of the Northeast, where a state of emergency currently exists in a number of states, and where the Boko Haram terrorist group has carried out many deadly attacks recently.

He said the bombings, which took place at a motor park in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, cast doubts on the claims of containing the crisis to the fringes of the country.

“There is an urgent need for the government of Nigeria to review its methods and strategies for dealing with terrorism,” Atiku said.

He called for a step-up in intelligence, listening posts, picking up trends and conversations with a view to pre-empting terrorist attacks, adding that it is time for Nigeria to accept foreign assistance with fighting terrorism in the country.

While expressing his condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the bombings, the former Vice President urged well-meaning Nigerians in and around the Federal Capital Territory to heed the call of National Blood Transfusion Centre (NBTC) by voluntarily donating blood at the National Hospital Abuja to save the lives of survivors.

"Seek foreign help to end boko haram" - Atiku tells Jonathan