- Again, suspected herdsmen kill two, sack Benue community
George Okoh in Makurdi and Mohammed Aminu in Gusau
President Muhammadu Buhari thursrday pledged to address security challenges in Zamfara State before the commencement of this year’s rainy season.
The president spoke at a town hall meeting with traditional rulers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders at the Government House, Gusau when he visited the state.
The visit, however, came as suspected marauding Fulani herdsmen yesterday attacked residents of Tse-Semaka in Umenger, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, killing two persons and setting the community ablaze.
Buhari said already he had ordered massive redeployment of police officers to the state with a view to addressing security challenges in the area.
“Your governor knows how I have been in touch with the Inspector-General to redeploy a number of police officers and to reinforce those available.
“Of course I spoke to the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff and in their exercise, they have made some success, but to me they need to do much more especially the police. In every town at least there is a police station.
“They are not given uniform and the rifle just to impress anybody but they are supposed to be sending intelligence and warning that something is about to happen.
“I don’t think I will say much about the armed forces but I will like to notice and make sure that there will be improvement before the rainy season,’’ he said.
On the ongoing crusade against corruption, the president assured that he would never lose focus in his efforts to restore sanity and accountability in the management of resources in spite of the distraction from some quarters.
He expressed serious concern over the rate of unemployment among young Nigerians, saying his administration would continue to do its best in addressing this problem.
On the recent killing of notorious bandit, Buhari Tsoho, in the state, the president directed the nation’s intelligent units to find out more information on the deceased with a view to arresting all members of his gang.
He also challenged the Zamfara State government to go to the archives and identify the grazing routes and meet with fellow governors so as to come up with strategy to check farmers/herdsmen clashes in the state.
The president, who said he was in Zamfara to console with the people of the state over the killings of innocent people and destruction of their property by bandits, apologised for the delay in refunding state governments of the funds they expended on reconstruction of federal roads.
He said he had directed the Minister of Power, Works and housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to compile all outstanding payments of refunds to those states that executed federal projects to specifications.
In his remarks, Governor Abdulaziz Yari urged the federal government to refund the state’s N56 billion being the amount spent on construction of federal roads in the state.
He expressed the hope that the refund would go a long way in addressing the security problems facing the state.
The governor called for additional deployment of security personnel to the state to check incessant cases of armed banditry across 13 out of the 14 local government areas of the state.
The Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Prof. Abdullahi Mohammed, in a presentation, gave an overview of the security challenges in the state in the last eight years resulting in loss of lives and property.
According to him, the state has been witnessing three types of security crisis, namely cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom and reprisals attacks.
He explained that Zamfara State had identified eight major flashpoints and made a passionate appeal to the federal government to provide more security men to the state.
Meanwhile, suspected marauding Fulani herdsmen THURSday attacked residents of Tse- Semaka in Umenger, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, killing two persons and setting the community ablaze.
Those killed included James Apav and Ataki Mageri who were working on their farms before the attack that claimed their lives.
A resident told THISDAY that the incident occurred at about 7a.m. when the two persons were working on their farms, adding that several houses were burnt down by the marauders.
According to him, the invaders fled after carrying out the heinous act as security men who moved swiftly to the area tried to trace them but could not.
As at the time of filing this report, efforts to get confirmation from the police failed as the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, told journalists on phone that they were still collating facts on the incident.
When also contacted on phone, the council Chairman, Anthony Shawon, said he cannot comment at the moment because there was so much pressure on him.
Herdsmen have continuously attacked settlements in Guma Local Government Area from the beginning of the year.It has been estimated that over 100 people have so far been killed in the area since the year started.
