Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State yesterday attended the funeral of 25 persons killed by bandits in a fresh attack which occurred on Saturday in three communities in Rabah Local Government Area of the state.
Our correspondent reports that Tambuwal together with heads of security agencies, traditional rulers and government officials later condoled with the families of the victims after the burial held at Gandi town.
Our correspondent gathered that the bandits who were in large numbers raided Kalhu, Tsage and Geeri villages near Gandi and killed the 25 persons.
The attackers were said to have engaged in indiscriminate shooting from around 5pm on Saturday till Sunday morning, after which they carted away hundreds of cows, sheep and other valuables.
Rabah has been experiencing bandits’ attacks in recent time, with people losing their lives while many others who were rendered homeless now taking refuge at an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Gandi.
Tambuwal pledged that the government would take more measures “to end such uncivilised and barbaric attacks”, and urged community members to assist security agencies with useful information to track the bandits.
Speaking to newsmen, Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Kaoje, said four persons including a woman informant who pretended to be a lunatic were arrested.
Kaoje said that a joint security operation was in progress to contain banditry and other crimes in the state.
The state Chairman, IDPs’ Welfare Committee, Malam Lawal Maidoki said relief materials had been delivered to the victims.
Our correspondent reports that with the present 25 killed in the latest attack, the total number of persons killed by bandits in Sokoto State has risen to 108 from 2018 to date.
Other places affected by armed bandits’ attacks were Dalijan, Rakkoni and Tabanni communities.
Meanwhile, following incessant kidnappings, killings and rising insurgency across many parts of the country, Secretary of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr. Kunle Olajide, has called for the overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture.
He said except the military service chiefs, ranging from the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Gabriel Olonisakin, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen TukurButatai and others are sacked, the country will continue to witness myriads of crimes and criminalties.
The YCE scribe further suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari must restructure the country in line with the advocacy for true federalism, saying the lopsidedness in the country’s structure was causing poverty among citizens thereby leading to upsurge in crimes.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Olajide advised Buhari to treat the alarm raised by Afenifere that the Southwest region has allegedly been taken over by killer herdsmen and other criminal gangs, with utmost attention.
He said Nigerians are helpless due to geometric increase in the level of poverty and economic depression being witnessed, saying the populace shouldn’t expect less crime rate under harsh and annihilating condition.
“The present service chiefs started with President Buhari four years ago, still, they have not been able to reduce insurgency in the North and kidnapping in the south.
“My opinion is that, they have ran out of ideas and they should be sacked. They are fatigued already and have nothing to offer.
“The best for President Buhari is to bring in fresh hands to manage our security architecture to prevent these killings,” he said.
On the alarm raised by Afenifere that the southwest region is no longer safe, the YCE leader said: “I don’t share the view of Fulanisation or islamisation agenda, but Nigeria has become the capital city of poverty worldwide displacing India, so we should expect crime to soar.
“In Nigeria, the poverty level is high in the north, because the area is troubled . But these herdsmen and other bandits are moving down south and they see the southwest as a fertile land where they can make millions through kidnapping and ritual killings.
“So, the threat is real and what I expect the Federal government to do is to put security on red alert and be proactive.
“The six governors in the region should mobilise the traditional rulers, the youth groups and other interested bodies to work with the military, police and NSCDC through a Joint Task Force and allied means and comb all the suspected forests to dislodge these criminals from their hideouts.
“I want to give kudos to President Buhari for setting up different committees to see some of the recommendations on the issue of restructuring , particularly the state police and other critical areas of our national life on how these can be implemented.
“I want to applaud the President for coming out boldly to align himself with the fact that the country needs true federalism and this will help in solving some of these inevitable challenges lopsided structures had caused in our system,” he added.