Killings: House Urges Buhari to Deploy Military Personnel to Sokoto

*Atiku condoles with families of victims

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy more military personnel to Sokoto State where bandits recently attacked and killed several travellers.

Some days ago, 23 people lost their lives as their vehicle caught fire under gunshots by bandits in Angwan Bawa, Sabin Gari Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has commiserated with the affected families and the people and government of Sokoto State over the senseless attack and killing of victims

However, apart from requesting that more military personnel be sent to Sokoto, the lawmakers also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to provide relief materials for the victims.

The resolutions of the lawmakers were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance at the plenary yesterday.

The lawmakers, while noting with greatest dismay the death of 23 travellers killed by the bandits, said they are disturbed by the massive killings, kidnappings, random and other terrible crimes against humanity are on the increase virtually on daily basis.

Similarly, the lawmakers adopting a motion titled, “Unfortunate Boat Mishap at Bagwai and Badau of Shanono/Bagwai Federal Constituency, Kano State,” urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to pay a condolence visit to the families of the deceased and provide modern boats to enable the people to travel safely along the Watari Dam; and as we train those handling the
boats.

The House also mandated the Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to ensure compliance.

Moving the motion, the sponsor Hon. Ahmed Yusuf Badau, noted the recent boat accident which resulted in the death of forty–two passengers ferrying across Watari Dam in Bagwai Local Government Area of Kano State.

He also noted that the people of Bagwai, Badau and other communities bordering the Watari Dam are mostly farmers who transport their produce to other parts of the State through the waters, and thus depend on the Watari Dam for their day to day livelihood.

He expressed concerns that the Watari Dam is the only viable means of transportation for the people living around the Dam thus a need for intervention by the Federal Government to provides modern boats in the area.

Adopting the two motions, the House observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased persons.

Meanwhile, Atiku in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja yesterday, regretted the loss of lives of innocent persons in such a cruel and gruesome manner by suspected bandits. He is worried that these killings have become too frequent in recent times and calls for concern.

“We cannot, as a people, continue to live our lives in apprehension for fear of losing our loved ones whenever they embark on a trip. It shouldn’t be!”, Atiku said.

While acknowledging the concerted efforts of security agencies to rid our communities of criminal elements, the Waziri of Adamawa, stressed the need for special attention to be accorded the North-West zone.

These criminals, he reckoned, cannot be smarter than us.“As a people, we shouldn’t have to be mourning our loved ones murdered in a manner that is highly provocative, when we are not in a war situation”, he said.

He noted that in an asymmetric war scenario where the enemy is faceless, boots on ground and air strikes, cannot be the defining strategy in defeating these criminal elements in their devilish activities.

According to the former Vice President, routing these misguided criminal elements out of our communities should include a scaled up intelligence gathering, and community volunteering or participation.

He further urged the governments of the affected states to introduce community sensitization programmes that emphasises on the need to “Say Something when you see something” untoward taking place in your area.

Atiku stressed that community participation in the fight against banditry and kidnapping, by way of having the security agencies collaborate with local vigilantes and community leaders for information gathering is a better means of getting ahead of these criminals to avert harm to anyone or group of persons.

While condoling with the affected families and the government and people of the state as they grieve yet again, Atiku urged the government of Sokoto State and the neighboring states to see these unrelenting attacks on the lives and livelihood of their citizens as a challenge to their rights to exist and live as free citizens.

He prayed that Allah forgives the shortcomings of the deceased and grants their souls eternal rest.