Martins Ifijeh
A pressure group, the Zamfara Advocate, has raised concern over increased insecurity in Zamfara State, saying efforts by the federal government to address the scourge has not yielded much results.
In a statement made available to THISDAY thursday and signed by 10 members of the group, it said recent efforts by the government through the latest security operation ‘Operation Harbin Kunama III,’ have only brought temporary relief, but that some parts of the state still suffer insecurity, including abductions and killings.
The body said: “Scores of lives continue to be lost and more are daily still being abducted by the armed bandits operating in the state. The media recently reported that 41 people were killed and five kidnapped between April 28 and May 4, 2019 in areas such as Bungudu, Birnin Magaji and Kunkulai in Zamfara State.
“Just last week, armed bandits invaded Government Girls Secondary School, Moriki, abducting staff members and their families in the process. As if the situation in Zamfara is not bad enough, there are now daily reports of these nefarious activities spreading to the neighboring Katsina State, forcing communities to relocate to Niger Republic.
“Existing insecurity in Kaduna State seems to have also intensified with the key Abuja-Kaduna expressway becoming impossible to ply for regular folks. Overall, insecurity is at all-time high in the North-west in particular and the North in general,” the group said.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu had recently, stated that Zamfara tops the country’s crime prevalence rate while Kaduna takes the second position and Benue, the third in the first quarter of 2019.
According to the IG, the majority of these killings and murders are linked to banditry, cattle rustling and communal violence.
Zamfara Advocate said: “We are clear that the North is now on a precipice and unless something is done urgently, we will tumble down into the chaos, the likes of which there is no coming back from easily. We look fearfully at places like Somalia who for over decades are wrestling to bring back a semblance of order to no avail, despite the hegemony of tribe, language and religion which they enjoy.
“Northern Nigeria with its deep fault lines, of ethnic and religious bigotry, which over the years have been exploited by unscrupulous Nigerians, will stand no chance if things are allowed to deteriorate any further. There are also immediate, dire consequences if greater part of our people in the North is not able to farm this season as a result of insecurity.”
The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on the issue of insecurity and immediately focus his mind on tackling it once and for all, adding that bad eggs should immediately be wielded out of the state.
Members of the group who signed the statement are Mallam Abdulrasheed Ibrahim, Mrs Fatima Nahuche, Mrs Asia Mohammed Ahmed, Mohammed Babangida Umar, Mallam Ghazali Ahmed Shehu, Prof.Yahaya Zakari, Prof. Yusuf Adamu Tsafe, Mallam Samaila Mudi Tsafe, Mallam Usman Balarabe, and Kadaria Ahmed.
