Senator Sani Musa urges FG, security agencies to act fast
From John Adams Minna
There is no respite for Communities in Niger state as gunmen have continued to unleash terror on the people, the latest being the raids on no fewer than three communities across two local government areas in the state.
The latest onslaught saw the gunmen going away with 50 people, mostly women and children.
Sources close to these communities told our correspondent that in Tegina and Utoro in Shiroro local government area, 28 people including women and children were kidnapped on Thursday last week when the gunmen struck at about 11 pm.
Also on Sunday morning at 9 am, the Kukau community in Munya local government area came under attack from the gunmen who invaded the people and went away with no fewer than 17 villagers.
Of this number, 10 were women whom the gunmen used to evacuate the looted items from the community.
Although nobody was killed in the two operations, food items and other valuables were looted from the people’s houses and shops in these Communities before whisking their victims away.
This latest attack is coming barely one week after some gunmen invaded the Zagzaga community in Munya local government and killed a village, Mallam Usman Tukura and abducted 15 people. They are demanding N1 million each for the release of the 15 people.
The abductors are yet to make any ransom demand after this latest attack but the communities said they are exhausted as they have sold all their farm produce and other belongings to pay ransom following frequent invasions by the bandits.
The security situation in Niger State seems to have defied every solution especially when the security agencies in the state have no antidote to confront the gunmen.
While bandit warlord Dogo Gide rules supreme in communities in Shiroro and Rafi local government areas with the people paying allegiance to him, communities in Munya and Paikoro local government areas have continued to witness the invasion of the gunmen from the neighbouring Kaduna State on a daily basis without any resistance.
Worried by the relentless attacks on the people and the attendant loss of lives and property, the Senate representing Niger East senatorial district, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Musa, last week took the cries of his people to the red chamber where he called on the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to immediately deploy troops to defend the unarmed populace and restore security to the affected communities in Niger State.
According to the Senate, the efforts will be the only antidote to restoring confidence in the security and safety of the affected communities.
The Senator in a motion to this effect on the floor of the Senate last week, said there is the urgent need for the federal government to deploy troops and other security apparatus to immediately bring an end to the menace of insurgency and terrorism in Niger State and other parts of Nigeria.
The Senate specifically urged the chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police to as a matter of insurgency direct for the establishment of a permanent military and police command base at the axis adjoining Shiroro and Rafi Local Government areas respectively to redesign the modus of operandi of the military operations within the affected areas to curtail the escalating insecurity.
The Senate also told the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NEMA to as a matter of national emergency provide relief materials and medical support to the victims immediately.
According to Senator Musa, “The Senate has passed several resolutions, set up an Ad-hoc Committee on Security, held National Security summits, and declared every support at bringing an end to the persistent insecurity in our nation, we have appropriated monies and also advances numerous steps to support our nation’s security agencies, yet insecurity has continued to elude the nation”.
He pointed out that “seven years now Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State has come under constant and sustained multiple deadly attacks by heartless, venomous, and hydra-headed Boko Haram terrorists who are always heavily armed with assorted sophisticated and dangerous weapons unleashing their horror on our innocent populace”.
He maintained that “The negative effects of atrocities committed by these heartless monsters in the period under review include among others, total collapse of the local economies of the affected victims, total collapse of the educational system in the affected areas, famine due to the collapse of agricultural activities, displacement as a result of desertion of crisis-prone areas, depopulation as a result of wanton deaths, social vices such as drug abuse and thuggery emanating from struggle for survival, trauma arising from serial rape cases and inhumane, cruel and deadly subjugation.”
Unfortunately, however, he submitted that “these repeated attacks are taking place amidst the absence of slightest hindrance, resistance, or confrontation from the authorities concerned.
“Cognisance that about 42 communities across the two local government areas of Shiroro and Munya Local Government have so far fallen under the Boko Haram control with about 5,000 villagers already displaced in the last three days. “They have kidnapped many and their wives seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members”, adding further that “Three military camps in Allawa, Bassa, and Zagzaga in the two local government areas have been sacked and some security personnel killed by the insurgents in the last one month of renewed attacks.”
He disclosed that the Boko Haram terrorist have mounted their flags in many of the villages they have captured such as Kaure, Alawa, and Magami. Inhabitants of these war-torn parts of the State have been abandoned and left to their fate thereby compelling them to wallow in perpetual agony and abject misery.