Zamfara: Gunmen kidnap 15, occupy over 18 villages, towns  – Speaker; FG raises 1,000-member military force 

By Ismaila Chafe/ Ibrahim G Ahmed /Abubakar Ahmed

The Speaker, Zamfara House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, has said that 15 persons have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Saturday in Maradun Local Government Area of the state.
Rikiji told newsmen in Gusau on Sunday that the security situation in the state called for serious review and assured that the State government would rebuild communities destroyed by the bandits.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Sunday said it had assembled a strong military force comprising 1,000 personnel, to tackle the bandits terrorizing communities in Zamfara.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, made this known in a statement in Abuja, and said that personnel in the squad were drawn from the Army, Air Force, Police and the Civil Defence.

Alhaji Rikiji, in Gusau, recalled the ugly incidences recorded in the last two days in Zurmi Local Government Area where bandits took over three districts comprising over 18 villages and towns.
“As I said yesterday in Zurmi, the issue of insecurity in this state require general study system review to tackle the prolonged security challenges facing the state.
“Security agencies should do more and more to deploy enough security personnel in Zamfara; we need permanent security stations in the affected area.
“We thank the immediate intervention of the Federal Government to this issue. As I am speaking now the troops, security personnel, have been deployed to the affected areas in Zurmi.
“They have started restoring normalcy in the area. We appeal to the people of the area to remain calm as government in collaboration with security agencies is working to maintain peace and stability in the areas,’’ he said.
The speaker also thanked the Emir of Zurmi, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, over his concern and commitment to the protection of his people.

Malam Shehu, in his statement, said that the formation of the 1000 man strong Force was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the Nigerian Air Force has begun the deployment of fighter aircraft to Katsina, the airport with the closest proximity to Zamfara, to make for immediate and effective response to the menace of the bandits.

“This had not been possible in the past because there was no fuel depot in Katsina, but NAF has devised a way around the problem,’’ he said.

Shehu disclosed that the President had also authorised the engagement by NAF, of advanced satellite surveillance technology to help in accurate detection of movement and locations of the bandits.

He said: “the government had to go to this extent because of the limitations of conventional surveillance as the use of satellite technology could make the task of NAF less problematic.

“Following directives from the President, at the weekend, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, was in Gusau where he met the Deputy Governor of the State.’’

The president’s aide said that while in Gusau, Abubakar reiterated Buhari’s pledge that he would never abandon victims of attacks to their fate.

“He also reaffirmed that security remained one of the cardinal pillars of his campaign promises and no leader would be happy to see his own citizens killed by criminal groups across the country.”

Shehu recalled that since his election, the president had kept faith with his promises to re-equip and motivate the country’s military and other security services.

He also observed that “the army and other security services are now better equipped and motivated to face the challenges of their responsibilities”.

Shehu, therefore, appealed to all Nigerians to unite and speak with one voice on security issues and urged politicians to stop exploiting national security challenges.

“Those praying for the president to fail in this effort can be likened to one stabbing oneself in the heart and celebrating about it.

“In this regard, security should not be reduced to petty politics as doing so could only embolden the terrorists and other murderous gangs.

“We therefore appeal to members of the Nigerian media to avoid unhelpful and deleterious sensationalism in the coverage of events that border on national security.

“The media should under no circumstances make the bandits or terrorists feel like super stars because doing so could hurt all of us,’’ he stated.

According to Shehu, terrorists seek to achieve maximum publicity and they do so by launching large-scale attacks on soft targets.

He advised the media to always resist every attempt to play into the hands of the terrorists unwittingly.

Alhaji Rikiji further announced, at his press briefing in Gusau on Sunday the state government’s plans to immediately rehabilitate villages recently destroyed by the bandits in Zurmi local government area of the state.

18 villages in the three districts of Kwashabawa, Birane and Mashema were attacked by bandits last week where scores of people were killed.

NAN further reports that following the attacks, over 12,000 villagers from the affected areas deserted their homes and are now being camped in schools, hospitals and offices in Zurmi, the local government headquarters.

Rikiji, who described the Zurmi attack as the worst in the state since 2012, said:

“As we are talking now, these districts are no longer under government but bandits’ control and we are mobilizing with security personnel to go and flush them out,” Rikiji said.

He said while efforts were being made to rebuild the affected villages, the communities would remain at the local government headquarters where they would be catered for.

” At this moment, even if they go back to their villages, there will be no food or shelter for them because the bandits have burned down most of the houses along with foodstuff and animals, ” he said.

“We are also going to bring doctors so that the victims will be treated out of the trauma they went through especially the women and children,” the speaker further said.

He said, at the moment, both the state and the national emergency agencies were providing services to the victims.

Rikiji said the IDPs would remain in place until the arrival of a federal government delegation which he said was being expected for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

He said another camp in Shinkafi was holding 7,500 IDPs.