Former minister of defence, General T.Y Danjuma (Rtd), has decried the deplorable security situation in the country, saying there’s too much killings in Nigeria.
Danjuma Danjuma, who stated this at the 11th Festival of Praise with the theme “Sing out! Our God reigns” which held in Abuja yesterday, cited the latest Amnesty International Report on the security situation in the North east as being credible.
He charged Nigerians to eschew bitterness and imbibe the virtue of peace and tolerance as the nation prepares for the 2019 General elections. He said, “Nigerians should use the season as an opportunity to pray for Peaceful coexistence and tolerance among one another in the country.”
The elder statesman used the occasion to extol the outstanding qualities and capacity of Prof Jerry Gana to get things done thoroughly, and consequently endorsed his bid for the Presidency in 2019, saying, “May you be our next President”.
In his remarks, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Prof. Jerry Gana who was the Chairman of the planning committee for the Festival stated that “We chose the theme ‘Sing out! Our God reigns’ because of the challenges around the country and to build people’s faith and hope for them to understand that God is in charge.
“We believe that God is everything, next year general elections in Nigeria is going to be peaceful. We are going to be successful. many people are having different thoughts about the election but God will over rule, because he rules in affairs of the world.
He encouraged Nigerians to have faith in God, to trust one another and to remove this increasing problem of killings in the land, because human life is very important and sacred. He prayed that God should answer the prayers of Nigerians as they prepare to elect a President who have the interest of the people at heart.
The event had in attendance many prominent Nigerians including Gen.Yakubu Gowon, former Head of State who was the chairman of the occasion.
Meanwhile, the police in Zamfara have confirmed 17 people killed in an attack by armed bandits on a community in the state.
The attack occurred in Magami Village, Faru District of Maradun Local Government Area.
A statement by the Zamfara police spokesperson, Muhammed Shehu, said the attack occurred on Saturday evening.
Our correspondent reports that the attack occured at about 4 p.m.
Mr Shehu said more police officers have been deployed to the area.
He said the Acting Governor of Zamfara State, Sanusi Rikiji; the police commissioner and other heads of security agencies were at the scene in the early hours of yesterday.
The officials were there “for on the spot assessment with a view to putting in more proactive security measures that will bring lasting solutions to the security challenges in the area and other parts of the state,” he said.
“In view of the visit, the commissioner of police has deployed additional unit of Tactical teams which comprises PMF/CTU Personnel to the affected area to complement the existing security emplacement.
“The unit of the PMF/CTU personnel has already arrived the village and they were directed to operate in collaboration with the military and other security personnel to restore normalcy and prevent any security threat by any disgruntled person or group of persons.
“While the command condoles the government and people of Zamfara State over the unfortunate incident, it has also vowed to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of this dastardly act.
“The command in this regard appeals for continued collaboration with all the security agencies in the state to bring lasting peace, safety and security to Zamfara State,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Rikiji also on Sunday attended the funeral prayer of some of the victims killed by the bandits.
Mr Rikiji, who is the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, condoled with the families of the victims and people of Maradun Emirate and described the incident as unfortunate and worrisome.
He said the state government was concerned about security matters.
“It is very disturbing, so distracting the way our people are being killed by terrorists.
“More often than not, we could not even concentrate and face our work, due to pressures of insecurity in our communities,” Our correspondent quotes the acting govenrors as saying.
He urged security operatives in the state to maximise their efforts in tackling the challenges.
Mr Rikiji noted that the state government had been providing all necessary support to security agencies in the state.
“We are ever ready to continue to offer any support to security agencies, at whatever cost, in order to address the current security situation in the state,” he said.
He urged people of the state to continue with prayers to seek Allah’s interventions to end the situation.
The acting governor also appealed to communities to provide information on security to security agencies for prompt response.
The heads of security agencies in the state were also in attendance during the prayers.
In their separate remarks, the Emir of Maradun, Garba Tambari, and Chairman Maradun Local Government Area, Yahaya Shehu, called for the deployment of more security personnel in the area.
Hundreds of people have been killed by armed bandits in Zamfara in 2018. The killings have continued despite the deployment of thousands of security personnel including soldiers as well as air force personnel and equipment to the state.
In another development, four persons were feared dead in a herdsmen attack of some communities in Logo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
The incident, which took place at Tse- Ibor and Tse-Dzungwe, Tombo ward, Logo LGA of the state, our correspondent gathered was a reprisal attack, following a raid on camps of herdsmen by some soldiers.
According to our findings the herdsmen were reacting to the shooting to death of their cattle.
Even, though the Army confirmed the raid on a herdsmen camp, it did not mention the killing of cows belonging to the herders.
Our sources in Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) described the report as “rumour”, while a family member of the victims who does not want his name in print said the OPWS was playing politics “with the blood of Tiv farmers.”
The family member of the victims gave the names of those killed as Terlumun Uke, Apaagu Mlange, Samuel Dwem and Delaba Dwem.
“OPWS troops conducted an overnight operation during which an open camp set up by some armed herdsmen along River Benue bank at Anyibe was destroyed.
“Some of the armed elements that attempted to cross back into Nasarawa got their boat capsized during the exchange of fire. It is therefore likely that the armed group might have suffered some casualties during the encounter.
However, our source was emphatic that four persons were killed in the attack by the herders, insisting he is a family member of the victims.
He said, “Soldiers had invaded their (herders’) settlement killed some of their cows. A reprisal led to the death of four person (in his village.)”
“Four people were killed. This is my village and my brothers so I know what I’m talking about.”