Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari representing Kaduna North senatorial zone has stated that bandits dislodged two years ago, have started regrouping around Kubau hills within the senatorial zone.
This is just as the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamali, and Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Zubairu Jibril Maigwari, said activities of bandits have become serious in their respective domains in recent times.
Particularly, Emir Maigwari said his people have paid hundreds of millions of naira in ransom.
Senator Kwari said, “We commend all royal fathers for keeping peace in their respective domains. We have been reliably informed that these criminals dislodged about two years ago have started regrouping themselves in Kubau hills. I’m building a camp for security agencies in Wusasa which is at 90% completion, so that they can use it for their operations.”
Speaking on Wednesday when Governor Nasir el-Rufai received the 2020 annual security report, the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Zubairu Jibril Maigwari, said, “I want to commend the state government for what it had been doing to ensure peace in the state.
“It is terrible when you see 200 to 300 bandits with weapons surrounding a village and killings people and collecting their money. Our people paid hundred of millions of naira as ransom.”
For Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamali, “the security agencies are up and doing. But we still have challenges in Zaria, Giwa, because after six o’clock in the evening some areas become no go area. There are other dangerous places. However I commend the military and the state government for a job well done.”
Also, the traditional ruler of Zangon Kataf, Agwatyap, Chief Dominic Yahaya, said despite occasional banditry and kidnappings in his domain, the peace committee he set up was not discouraged to ensure peace in the area.
“The report gives clear understanding of security challenges in the state.
“We saw people vacating their homes and became IDPs. We convened peace summit. Peace and security partnership committee was set up. It was 85-member committee. The committee organised seminar, workshop etc for members. Yet killings continued, but the committee did not give up searching for peace. We are not thwarted, we are not discouraged.
“We brought everybody on board to understand where we are going. However, when perpetrators are arrested and taken to the police, we don’t know what happened afterwards. We will continue to tread the path of peace. We will continue to work very hard to ensure that there is no reprisal,” he said.
The Senator representing Southern Kaduna, Senator Danjuma La’ah, who joined the event virtually, said, “there is a lot of improvement on security issue. The security agencies should not relent. I’m of the opinion that more security apparatus should be provided. We must come together irrespective of ethnic and religious difference to end this security challenges. Insecurity does not know Muslims or Christians. So we must find solutions to it.”
Senator Uba Sani, (Kaduna Central), said, “as a member of the National Assembly, I can see that my zone is most affected by this banditry. I visited some community leaders in Kerawa and Birnin Yero and discussed with them on finding solutions. They insisted that we should support the government in not considering amnesty or negotiation. They believed bandits are criminals and should be treated as such.”