From Maiharaji Altine, Gusau
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has called for a state of emergency to be declared on security in the northern part of the country considering the insecurity challenges facing the area.
Matawalle who made the declaration when he received the newly posted Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, AIG Ali Aji Janga on a courtesy visit said the whole area was under attacks by bandits.
The Governor, who expressed disgust on the recent attack on NDA said, no place was longer safe in the entire Northern region, calling for urgent action to be taken to address the menace.
Matawalle said, “It is unfortunate if the bandits can go up to NDA and Kidnap the officers, I think the Government has to look into it and may be declare a state of emergency on security”.
“Some people have been calling on the Government to declare a state of emergency on education and other sectors”.
But I think the state of emergency has to be declared first on security so that the security personnel can be mobilised to be more purposeful in some parts of the country to come and deal with these criminals”.
The Governor lamented that, “if from Zamfara to Sokoto could not be accessed due to insecurity, we are in trouble”.
“Many of our rural areas are unaccessible as a result of banditry and the bandits have taken over some parts of the state”.
“Just yesterday, we concluded with the repentant bandits to secure the release of the people that were kidnapped in Rini village about 83 of them and people are there to receive them”.
“We have been working with the Police Commissioner on how to make people sleep with their two eyes closed but unfortunately some miscreants are still taking Law into their hands”.
He accused some politicians of fueling the insecurity challenges facing the region for political gains, stressing that, it was not good to play politics with the security.
“I have been saying times without number that, the issue of security is for all the Citizens, not just for the security personnel or the government”.
“But it is unfortunate that here in the North, some politicians are happy with what is happening because they think that, when people are being killed, they have the chance to come out and campaign to blackmail the sitting Governors, the President and other politicians”.
He also accused the social media handlers who were being used by what he called the disgruntled politicians to be posting negatively on the security situation in the state in order to create tension and confusion.
He called on the Police Commissioner to arrest such social media handlers and bring them to book to serve as deterrent to others.
“I asked the CP to take serious majors because sometimes, these people will post an attack even before it happens and after it happens. How did they know this?.
Matawalle explained that he was doing his on security but some people were always sabotaging him so that he did not succeed.
