Anthony Iwuoma
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, on Tuesday, lamented that bandits killed 220 persons, in the state in 17 days.
He gave the breakdown of victims as165 civilians, 25 security personnel and 30 vigilantes.
Governor Bello, who addressed State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said only a robust deployment of modern technology would liberate and secure the areas under bandits occupation. He also expressed optimism that it was possible.
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Governor Bello said: “I’m very optimistic with the kind of zeal I have seen from our security agencies and all services. I’m very optimistic that the situation will be addressed. And hopefully, we should get a very peaceful state within the shortest possible time.
“We share borders with Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kebbi states. And these bandits have the habit of hibernating between forests, moving from Zamfara to Kebbi, and Kebbi to Niger. They take advantage of the cattle routes which they already know. They move on motorcycles. And most of the areas and communities they attack have no access roads. So, you cannot drive there. So, our response time is slow.
“But going forward, there will be new strategies which I earlier mentioned. It will help us. But I can’t disclose some of those strategies. But basically, the States of Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi would have to work together to address the situation.”
The governor also noted that the bandits had resorted to moving from one place to another.
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“What I realise is that they have been taking us on a merry-go-round. When we deal with them in Niger, they move to Kaduna. When Kaduna deals with them, they move to Katsina. They have been hibernating in the forest. Some of these operations need to be handled simultaneously so that we get the result,” he added.
“We are not happy and we are sad with the developments in these states. We are doing whatever we can, using kinetic and non kinetic efforts to see that we address the present situation. As we go on, we will try to update you from time to time on progress being made in this fight.’