Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari, Thursday said the menace of banditry is an internal problem that requires collaborative efforts by northern governors to tackle.
Yari made the remark when he led five other northern governors to pay a condolence visit to the Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal at the Government House, Sokoto.
He maintained that the bandits and perpetrators of such heinous acts live within the communities, saying governors must look inwards to curb the wanton killings.
“We have to look inwards to find a solution to our problem. This problem is within us because the bandits creating this menace are within us. They cannot survive without drinking, eating and all the essential facilities needed for survival.
“So, how are they getting them? This is a chain that we need to check. We are seriously concerned because Sokoto has been relatively peaceful despite being a neighbouring state to Zamfara. This is indeed worrisome and a serious concern to all of us.
“Despite sabotage from within and outside, We know that as leaders, if we come together, we can achieve more in maintaining peace and harmony in our states,” he said.
He posited that the primary responsibility of government is to maintain peace and security and as such leaders must do more to combat banditry in their areas.
Yari said they were in Sokoto to commiserate with the bereaved families and people of Sokoto State over the loss of lives of 39 persons in Tabani village of Rabah Local Government Area of the state.
He therefore prayed against future reoccurrence and God’s intervention in the affairs of the nation.
Responding, Governor Tambuwal said this was the first time that bandits unleashed mayhem on villages killing 39 persons.
He described the attack as unfortunate, saying government was collaborating with security agencies to forestall future attack.
“These marauders entered Tabanni village from Zamfara killing 39 people without taking anything there. We currently have about 10,000 people that left their villages for safety in four internally displaced persons’ camps.
“We are in touch with the leadership of the security agencies in the country and in the next few days, more security personnel would be deployed to that axis,” he stated.
Tambuwal to this end, thanked the northern governors for the visit, saying it was a moral boost for the state government.
The governors that accompanied Yari to Sokoto included Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru, Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa, Kashim Shettima of Borno State and Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State.
