1 week ago
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•Says 122 abducted in 1 month
From John Adams, Minna
The Niger State House of Assembly has raised the alarm over the recent escalation of activities of bandits in parts of the state.
He described the situation as worrisome and deserving of urgent attention by the state government.
The House is particularly worried over the recent onslaught by gunmen in communities in Rafi Local Government Area of the state, where no fewer than 122 people, including women and children, were abducted and six others killed while attempting to escape into the bush.
The House expressed concern over the security situation in the place, following a motion of urgent public importance brought by the member representing Rafi state constituency, Zubairu Ismail Zanna, at plenary yesterday.
He painted a gloomy picture of the security situation in his constituency and told the House that the peace and stability being enjoyed by some communities in the area have been taken away due to the activities of gunmen.
In fact, he called for a state of emergency in the constituency.
According to the lawmaker, in the last one month, no fewer than 122 people, including women and children, have been abducted by bandits while six people have been killed in separate attacks across six communities, stressing that, “all the attacks happened between January 12 and 27,” adding that “these communities come under attacks from bandits and kidnappers almost intermittently”.
Zanna informed the House that the heavy influx of bandits into his constituency was as a result of the truce and agreement reached between Kaduna State and the bandits, pointing out that, “the bandits have redirect the attacks towards communities within Rafi LGA.”
He maintained that the bandits usually entered through Birinin Gwari, Kewaye-Gayan, Manini, Pole Wire and Kill to wreck havoc in the LGA, warning that, “unless the influx is curbed within the shortest possible time, more villages will come under attack”.
Worried by this development, the House resolved and called on the state government to as a matter of urgency, impress on the federal government to assist in deploying security agents to the affected communities to protect the lives and properties of the people.
The House specifically asked the government to deploy security agents to station in all the routes through which the bandits use to lunch attacks on the communities.
The House,also, asked the state government to liaise with the Kaduna state government, with a view to have a joint security patrol within the border communities, stressing that the proactive measures by the Kaduna state government has put pressure on communities in the state.
“People are running away from their homes, nowhere is save right now. There is the need for urgent action by the government because the bandits are relocating in their numbers to the state”. The house added.
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