A MEMBER of the House of Representatives from Zuru/Fakai/Danko/Wasagu/Sakaba federal constituency of Kebbi State, Hon Ibrahim Kabir Tukura, yesterday said wanton killings, kidnapping and destruction of property by bandits had persisted in his constituency, revealing that bandits have killed over 500 people in the state.
Tukura, who spoke under urgent public importance, claimed that over 500 persons had been killed in recent time while another 201 were kidnapped by the bandits.
He also said that millions of naira had been paid as ransom to the bandits.
The House, which adopted the motion, urged President Buhari to direct all the law enforcement agencies to embark on a massive recruitment drive to boost their personnel in the face of the current onslaught against banditry, terrorism, and separatist agenda across various fronts in the country.
The House also appealed to the president to direct the inspector-general of police (IGP) to as a matter of urgency set up a Mobile Police Base at Unashi and Mai-Rai-Rai Village under the Wasagu Chiefdom, which is the route of the bandits.
The lawmakers equally called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to victims in the affected areas and set up two IDPs’ camps as a matter of urgency to provide temporary shelter to the over 15,000 Internally Displaced Persons in the two local governments, as obtained by global best practice.
Tukura said, “The local governments have been suffering silently in the hands of bandits in recent months, a situation that has led to the over-stretching of the security agencies beyond their limit. The farming communities in the Local Governments have lost over 500 persons to banditry and terrorist attacks. Furthermore, more than 201 individuals were kidnapped with millions of naira paid as ransom;
“Considering the current rise in security challenges in Danko-Wasagu and Sakaba local government areas and indeed across the country, it is apt to state that the government has not done enough to secure the lives and properties of the good people of the local government areas to enable them to go about their everyday life,” he said.
