Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari yesterday explained reasons behind unending killings especially in the remote areas of the state.
Yari lamented that the bandits are using more sophisticated weapons that government security operatives are using.
The state government, he said is finding it difficult to tackle he bandits because they are the only people that are conversant with the areas.
Yari disclosed this today in Zamfara when he hosted the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), delegation led by the National President, Waheed Odusile on a democracy dividends media tour of the state.
He informed the journalists that: “As I am talking to you today we do not have any helicopters that can respond to any distress call. We need roads to travel. Before you cannot speed your car more than 20 kilometer per hour and the bandits took that advantage to also attack people on the road.”
The governor who expressed sadness about the development in the state emphasized the need to have state police to assist the federal police whom he described as inadequate to protect lives and property.
His words: “The reason why the bandits becomes difficult to tackle is because they are the only people that are conversant with the area. They are using the transport and weapons that Conventional securities are not using. And we do not have sophisticated weapons like them. I know the need of my people.
“We are matured for the state police. Now we are having serious problem in tackling the bandits. If you look at our problems today, we are have internal security problems. And the police are the right people to provide intelligence, but it appears the police are either not too clear about the situation, or they are not adequate to tackle the problem of insecurity. We are concern about the number of the Nigerian police because they are very inadequate to tackle these security problem.
“If we are given the opportunity to have the state police after all we are paying the police men with us here that are on additional duties, given them many other things only arms we are not buying for them. But all the logistics of transportation we have been providing it for them. So if we can do that then we can take up the other responsibilities. We do not want the Federal Government to use the police against the opposition. So we are ripe enough for state police because it will compliment the efforts of the Federal Government.
“There was an incident that happened in 2013 where we got intelligent report that people are planning a attack in one of our villages called Kwangiga and the information came to us two months before the attack.
The information was given through the police headquarters and the then state commissioner of police brought that letter to me that the bandits are on there way and that we need to increase the patrol and the police men in that area and I said he should go ahead. And they brought about two units in addition to the one unit that was there. Numbering about 180 mobile policemen in that area. After two months when I was about to travel out of the country, the commissioner came to me that he received signal yesterday to withdraw the all the policemen. I told him not to withdraw them and he said ok sir.
“I then traveled to Ukraine before I came back the then minister of state finance called me about what has happened in the state and if I was aware and I said no. To my surprise the policemen were withdrew and the bandits entered the village and killed 44 people. This is why I am in support of state police because if the police commissioner knows that I will fire him he will not withdraw the police men. After that he was transferred and promoted to AIG.”
When asked if President Muhammadu Buhari deserves re-election, Yari said Mr. President should be voted back to power adding that he has tried by rescuing the economy of the country.
He said: ” Buhari has performed well and he deserves second term. Look at theirs sued of bail out fund to states.”
The NUJ president, Waheed Odusile praised the governor for his efforts at ensuring security in the state among other developmental projects.
He urged him not to rest on his oars at making the people further enjoy the dividends of democracy.