The Zamfara Advocates, comprising of Broadcaster and Journalist, Kadaria Ahmed, and a host of other prominent people from Zanfara State have condemned the continued killings in the northern Nigeria state. While commending the federal government for addressing the issues of the
rampant killings, kidnappings and insecurity in the northern Nigeria state, the group said more still needed to be done.
“We, the undersigned note the recent efforts of the Federal Government in addressing the issues of the rampant killings, kidnappings and insecurity in Zamfara State. We note these efforts, named Operation
Puff Adder, Operation Sharan Daji and the latest security operation ‘Operation Harbin Kunama III’ launched on 1st April 2019, have borne some fruit and provided temporary relief to part of our communities, but it is clear that the improvement in security isn’t across all of Zamfara and has not provided a lasting relief from the attacks, abductions and killings in the State,” said the statement.
The statement however observed that scores of lives continue to be lost and scores more are daily still being abducted by the armed bandits operating in the state.
While stating that just last week armed bandits invaded Government Girls Secondary School Moriki abducting staff members and their families in the process, Zamfara Advocates stated that the media reported that 41 people were killed and five kidnapped between April 28th and May 4th, 2019 in areas such as Bungudu, Birnin Magaji and Kunkulai in Zamfara State.
“As if the situation in Zamfara is not bad enough, there are now daily reports of these nefarious activities spreading to the neighbouring 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. Over all insecurity is at all-time high in the Northwest in particular and the North in general.
“The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu stated that Zamfara tops the nation’s crime prevalence rate while Kaduna comes in second with 112 and Benue third with 90 people killed in the first quarter of 2019 alone. According to the IGP, the majority of these killings and murders are linked to banditry, cattle rustling and communal violence,” the statement explained.
Zanfara Advocates fears that the north is now on a precipice and unless something is done urgently, the region will tumble down into the chaos the likes of which there is no coming back from easily.
Pointing to places like Somalia, which the Advocates said 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, the group said 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 a greater part of our people in the north are not able to farm this season as a result of insecurity. We are therefore calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on the issue of insecurity and immediately focus his mind on tackling this issue once and for all. We call on the President, the military, all other agencies tasked with providing security for Nigerians to immediately set up a transparent process for weeding out the bad eggs among them who we are told work in tandem with bandits to unleash mayhem on Nigerians. It must be clear by now that we need hands that are fully committed to addressing the state of insecurity that is consuming the North.
“We ask the President to examine those he has given the task of securing Nigerian and get rid of those who have shown themselves to be incapable and replace them with those who can demonstrably do the job. We know President Buhari values loyalty. His own loyalty should and must be to the people of Nigeria above anyone else.
“We want to see immediate, holistic, effective, coordinated action specifically targeting those shedding
blood across the North. We don’t want to hear of bandits escaping across state borders to wreak havoc
in neighboring states, almost as if the security services couldn’t predict this.
“We want to see proper programs put in place to ameliorate the suffering of thousands that have been
displaced by violence and programs that allow them to begin to pick up the pieces of their lives. We
want to see effective policies and programs in education, health, drug rehabilitation and a reintegrating
millions of roaming Almajiri children into communities to be cared for and nurtured. A society is only as safe as it most vulnerable and without security for all, we are all doomed”.
Apart from Kadaria Ahmed, the statement is also signed by Mallam Abdulrasheed Ibrahim, Mrs Fatima Nahuche, Mrs Asia Mohammed Ahmed, Barr. Mohammed Babangida Umar, Mallam Ghazali Ahmed Shehu, Prof Yahaya Zakari, Prof Yusuf Adamu Tsafe, Mallam Samaila Mudi Tsafe and Mallam Usman Balarabe.