- Communities in the three zones of the North, which have been under incessant attacks by bandits and terrorists are looking up to President Bola Tinubu and the new service chiefs for lasting peace in their areas
Bandits and terrorists have sustained attacks on communities in the North, thus worsening the plight of residents, who have been displaced from their ancestral homes.
From Sokoto State to Benue State, it is the same story of agony as scores were killed and hundreds displaced by unrepentant bandits and terrorists.
On June 26, bandits attacked the Ruwan Dorawan village in the Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State where they had a fierce encounter with the police who subsequently repelled them.
The incident which occurred at 11 am left one of the bandits dead while the police also recovered one GPMG with 58 rounds of 7.62 MM X 51 MM live ammunition.
On June 15, tragedy struck at the Molai, Konduga Local Government Area, Borno State when suspected Boko Haram insurgents killed eight farmers.
The suspected insurgents, according to a nephew of one of the farmers, who confirmed the number of the killed farmers, unexpectedly pounced on the farmers working on their farms around Molai and some of its surrounding hamlets between noon and 1 pm.
Residents of Tangaza and Gwadabawa local government areas in Sokoto State have yet to recover from brutal attacks on their communities by bandits.
June 3, which started like a normal day in most parts of the two local government areas became a tragedy when six communities were attacked.
The bandits invaded three communities including Raka, Raka Dutse, and Filin Gawa, in Tangaza Local Government Area killing many residents while several others were injured.
Another set of bandits went on the rampage in two villages of Sakamaru and Bilingawa in the Gwadabawa LGA.
A source who spoke with our correspondent from Gwadabawa LG confirmed that the incident happened shortly after (Magrib) evening prayer.
The immediate past chairman of the LGA, Bashar Kalenjeni, while confirming the attacks, said 18 persons were killed at Raka, 17 at Filin Gawa, and two at Raka Dutse.
He explained that the same bandits further disrupted the burial arrangements of those killed in the attack when residents were about to give them befitting burials in accordance with their faith.
“We wanted to bury them in the night but the bandits came back and dispersed us,” Kalenjeni said.
According to him, the “offence” of the villagers was their refusal to pay levies imposed on their communities.
Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of one of the affected communities, Kasim Gadafi, said the attack was not the first, adding that the bandits had killed six people a few weeks before the latest attack.
“These people have been terrorizing us by trying to impose levies on us. It has now got to a level where citizens realise they must resist hardship.
“As I am talking to you now, these same bandits have set up a camp in our forest not far away from our community but we will not give up on our land to invaders. Our appeal to the government at all levels is to help us put an end
to the menace,” he added.
Also, Muhammad Nasiru, a resident of one of the affected communities said bandits’ attacks on their communities had become worrisome.
He said most of the residents, who are farmers, have abandoned their farms due to the activities of bandits who always make frivolous demands.
He however appealed to security agencies in the state to deploy more men in the area to assist the people of the communities to live in peace.
A former governor of the state, Aliyu Wamakko, described the attacks as unfortunate and ungodly, urging that the perpetrators must be brought to book.
The state governor, Ahmed Aliyu, convened an emergency meeting with heads of security agencies in the state to find a solution to the attacks.
The meeting agreed that the members of the vigilante groups should work hand in hand with the conventional security agencies to ensure total compliance with law and order in dealing with security issues.
The statement said: “The meeting identified a lack of general welfare of security personnel attached to flash points as one area that needs urgent attention to boost their morale.
“During the meeting, it was discovered that security personnel on patrol along areas with high-security risks were being owed five months’ allowances by the state government.
“In the same vein, security vehicles being used to patrol those areas were also found to be getting weak and cannot be effectively utilized for patrols”
The governor, however, promised to look into logistics and other challenges hindering the smooth operations of the security personnel deployed in flash points across the state.
While condemning the attack which he described as barbaric, the governor appealed to the people of the state to assist security agencies with relevant information that would assist in addressing banditry in their localities.
Also, the state chapter of the PDP expressed sadness over the attacks.
The state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello, described them as callous and dastardly.
The chairman, who spoke through the party’s Publicity Secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, expressed dismay over the death of the helpless citizens during the attacks.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 26 people have been killed in the past one month in some parts of Benue State.
Four people including a policeman, Catholic priest were kidnapped within the time frame.
Twenty five were killed by gunmen on June 3rd at Imamde Mbakange in Mbacher council ward in Katsina Ala local government area of the State while a personnel of the State Community Volunteer Guard was killed on June 30 in Logo local government area of the state.
Also June 13, three people including a policeman and woman who were returning from burial were kidnapped along Makurdi/Naka road.
Three days after, precisely, June 16, a Catholic priest of Otukpo Diocese Rev Fr Anthony Adikwu of St Margareth parish, Ajegbe Awune in Ohimini LGA was also kidnapped by gunmen.
But a former Governor of the state and member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, expressed concern over the banditry in the North-West and North-East which, he said constituted a serious threat to food security in Nigeria.
According to him, instead of talking about cabinet ministerial appointments, the subsidy, and the economy, the government of President Bola Tinubu should consider food security as his priority.
The elder statesman also warned that if stringent measures were not taken to curb insecurity, the North would face severe educational backwardness in the next 50 years.
Bafarawa said that many primary and secondary schools in Northern Nigeria had been shut down because of the activities of bandits, saying, “This is a serious disaster.”
He advised that the government should get its priorities correct.
He said, “Instead of talking about cabinet, subsidy, and the economy, the government should consider food security because with the rate we are going, in the next three months, we are going to have problems in Nigeria, especially in the North West.
“The bandits have refused to allow farmers to cultivate their crops. This is a very dangerous situation not only because the bandits are killing people but also because the food scarcity is going to be too serious in the next few months, especially in the North West and North East. So, we want the government to wake up and do something about it.
“Also, with the way education is going, in the next 50 years, were are going to be very backward in education because most of the primary schools in the North have been closed because of banditry. There are no primary schools, no secondary schools and this is a serious disaster. So, we cannot sit down and watch; something must be done right before it gets worse.
“The government should fight security especially food insecurity in the country because it’s a serious matter. Whatever the government is going to do, let the issue of food security be top priority.”
@The PUNCH
