Zamfara vows to overwhelm bandits in 4 days, Niger says can only pray

Zamfara plans new ways to deal with unrepentant bandits, but Niger says it can only pray for help

Niger state has admitted it is overwhelmed with insecurity ravaging every part of the state, just as Zamfara has vowed to overwhelm bandits in four days.

Zamfara governor Bello Matawalle said he had drawn up a new roadmap to make life a “living hell” for unrepentant bandits.

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He spoke when the chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state and Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa state paid sympathy and condolence visit to the state.

Governor Matawalle warned armed bandits in the state to repent or change base as he has drawn a new roadmap in his approach to handling the issue of security challenges facing the state.

He  said his recent suspension of a district head in Shinkafi emirate for conniving with bandits was just a tip of the iceberg adding that in the next four days, he will overwhelm all those making life unbearable to innocent citizens in the state.

Growing displacement

Niger’s deputy governor Ahmed Ketso has been visiting camps for internally displaced at Gwada in Shiroro council area on Friday.

In audio recordings from his visit obtained by Daily Trsut, he speaks about the insecurity in Niger being above the state, adding all that can be done is to pray.

The Deputy Governor further warned the people to desist from being informants to the bandits adding that it is the operations of informants that has worsen the insecurity challenges in the state.

He however disclosed that the government is giving the IDPs N2 million for their upkeep.

Ketso was accompanied by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, the state Commissioner of Police and the state Director of DSS.

It was gathered that the IDP camp in Gwada now shelters communities displaced in the recent spate of banditry in Shiroro and Munya local government areas of the state.

Calls to reject N2 million

Meanwhile, reactions have trailed the visit of the Deputy Governor and his team to the IDP camp as the people in the state have expressed disappointment over his statement saying the government has failed in its responsibility.

The people also asked the IDPs to reject the N2 million cash gift adding that it was an insult to them for the government to come to them with such an amount.

The President, Lakpma Youths Assembly, Jibrin Allawa called on the Deputy Governor to withdraw his statement saying that they should acknowledge that they have failed the people and nothing can quantify for that.

He said that the people have paid more than the N2 million the government is giving to the IDPs for ransom and that it means nothing to them.

“Lolo /Ketso must withdraw their barbaric statement and should also know that they have failed the people that entrusted them with the leadership.

“These bunch of failure should immediately resign to give way to a competent and serious-minded leader to come. We have never had a clueless and unserious government like this instead of sympathizing and working out a solution in this trying time, all we received is insults here and there.

“Our people have paid for ransoms more than the N2 million given by the government to the IDPs of Shiroro and Munya. We are farmers, we don’t need food, all we ask is security. We don’t need you or your food and N2 million”, he said.

Another youth from the area, Yusuf Sizah said that he has not been himself since he heard the speech of the Deputy Governor adding that his statement showed that the lives of the people are no longer important to the government.

“Should you wait till the criminals overrun the whole state before you and your government react. The criminals have understood that you only bark and can’t bite hence they are on the rampage.

“You have failed woefully in every area. Niger state is waiting for your tenure to elapse to breath fresh air having survived your cruel government all these while.”

“The N2 million you are talking about for the IDPs of three local government areas of Shiroro, Munya and Rafi is not our problem. In that camp of Shiroro, there is one single person who cannot render double of that amount and he won’t know that he touched his account.

“The only thing these people need is security, they have enough of food at their disposal, and it is almost time for farming, give them security not food, they have food that can satisfy the North Central and not only Niger State.”

 

Also, one Usman Baba noted that each displaced farmers he met in the IDP camp could have brought out N2 million without any difficulty if they had no problem with banditry.

“The Deputy Governor of Niger state may not know that every displaced farmer he met in Gwada today can bring out more than N2 Million cash without blinking an eye. Our people are wealthy farmers displaced by terrorists, not wretched. Somebody should sound this into the ears of the incompetent and insensitive Deputy Governor.”

The Co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Abubakar Yusuf Kokki described the deputy Governor’s outing as poor and his statement reckless.

“The Deputy Governor’s gaffe will surely be accorded the needed antidotes. May Almighty Allah save us from clueless and incompetent politicians and political merchants who are only interested in seeing people wallowing in perpetual predicaments which in turn will guarantee their self-enrichment,” he stated.