Acting governor urges Nigerian military to redeploy soldiers to bandits-prone areas

The acting governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, on Saturday, called on the Nigerian Army to reopen its camp in Allawa which the military shut down after an attack by bandits.

Mr Garba made the call when he attended the third-day Fidda’u prayer for victims of recent a recent bandits attack in Anguwan Maigero in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

He was accompanied to the event by the Emir of Minna, Umar Bahago, at Kuta Central Mosque in Shiroro.

Interview

In an interview with journalists after the prayer session, the acting governor appealed to the Nigerian Army to redeploy soldiers to Allawa and other communities prone to attacks in the state.

No fewer than 13 people were killed on Wednesday by bandits who ambushed them on their way to their farms in Anguwan village.

Mr Garba said the withdrawal of soldiers from the area brought a setback to the state government’s efforts in tackling insecurity across the state.

“I want to appeal to our military to see reasons to go back to Allawa and other prone areas to give full security cover to our people who are predominantly farmers,” he said.

He said the state government was deploying strategies to improve security in the state.

The acting governor said unlike two year ago when people could not travel to places like Kuta, Zumba, Gwada and Erena in Shiroro, they can now go there due to the efforts being made to tackle insecurity.

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He clarified that those killed in the recent attack were displaced farmers who left the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp to farm when they were ambushed by the bandits.

He said no one should play politics with issues of insecurity because they have to do with the lives of the people.