A renowned journalist, Ahmad Salkida, has lamented the level of insecurity in the North West state of Zamfara.
Salkida, who took to his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday morning, gave a snippet of life in the state on Monday night.
He said, “As we went to sleep, Madaba village in Magami District in Zamfara was attacked, with dozens killed and wounded.
“Also last night, a group of bandits invaded a house of a newly wedded couple in Birnin-Magaji and abducted the bride. This is everyday life in Zamfara, Nigeria.”
See tweet:
As we went to sleep, Madaba village in Magami District in Zamfara was attacked, with dozens killed and wounded. Also last night, a group of bandits invaded a house of a newly wedded couple in Birnin-Magaji and abducted the bride. This is everyday life in #Zamfara #Nigeria.
— Ahmad Salkida (@A_Salkida) February 5, 2019
Salkida who wrote a report titled “Zamfara State in the Last Seven Days” also tweeted, “Zamfara in the last 7 days is a thread that focuses on the human calamity that is unfolding in the state. We noted that there was no day in the last 7 days in Zamfara that passed without an incidence of violence.
“The Imam of Jakkukka, Malam Liman Umar narrated how his community of over 5000 inhabitants were all displaced on three occasions. Before the latest attack, farming activities by villagers had been discontinued as it became a source of grave danger to lives.
“The Jakkukka, Kurukuru and Bawar Daji communities have moved to Anka town, the HQ of Anka LGA. They mostly sleep in open spaces and abandoned buildings. Sexual exploitation has escalated. Both the State & FG are bent on treating the calamity as a non-issue to avoid media attention.
“On Saturday, the State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, donated over N20 million in cash to a religious sect. Strikingly, this is happening at a time when over 30 Mosques in Anka LGA alone were shut down because there are fewer people to pray in them. This story is almost everywhere.
“Before the controversial donation by Governor Yari, on Tuesday the 29th Jan, Yari declared 3 days of fasting, prayer & Quranic recitation as part of efforts to curb violent crimes in Zamfara state, confirming the absence of any security strategy to address the problems.
“On Wednesday, armed bandits killed 4 and abducted 5 persons along Dangulbi-Magani road. The killing spree continued in Maganawa, Tabanni, Matankari and Saulawa communities with 10 people killed. The residents have since migrated to Dansadau town.
“On Saturday night, bandits invaded Dutsi in Zurmi LGA & killed 3 persons, abducted dozens. Same day, bandits also opened fire on commuters along Gurbin-Baure road, killing a driver, abducting dozens. Soldiers have to escort a long caravan of fleeing refugees to temporary safety.
“Just yesterday, a small village Karuma, in Anka LGA was attacked by bandits, the casualty figures are not yet given, but dozens were reportedly abducted during the attack. In Maradun LGA, Malammai town which used to be full of life is currently empty, it is now a ghost town.
“There are several other attacks that cannot all be mentioned here, hundreds have crossed over to Niger Republic for safety, some that moved to Katsina and Sokoto states have been caught up, as the attacks continue to spread across the North West region.
“Niger Republic is now considered the safest place to be for many Nigerians living in these crisis areas. The military continues to do its bit, but the death toll is not abating.
“Most of our leaders love shortcuts, they are not interested in any tedious process. However, the processes they ignored several years ago for ad hoc and unrealistic expectations have failed to save lives, yet we cling to these measures because of lack of accountability.”
Zamfara has been a hotbed of violence in recent times, with bandits blamed for most of the violence.
The governor of Zamfara, Abdul’aziz Yari, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in 2018 said he was resigning his constitutional role as Chief Security Officer of the state, blaming lack of control over security agencies for his decision.
An unidentified driver was recently rewarded with N2 million by the state government for killing two armed bandits along Gidan Jaja/Gurbin Bore Road of Zurmi local government area of the state.
The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Dankande said that the gesture was in fulfillment of the state governor’s pledge to give N1 million on each AK 47 rifle siezed from bandits.
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