By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
Former governor of Sokoto state and Senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District, Dr Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, has expressed shock over the gruesome killing of innocent passengers by bandits in Sokoto State.
Wamakko who is the Chairman of, Senate Committee on Defence, noted that the perpetrators must be brought to book, adding that people should imbibe the teachings of their religions by respecting the sanctity of human lives.
The Senator, in a statement by his spokesperson, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, said a situation where hapless citizens who were undertaking a legitimate journey to another part of the country, as well as those in their respective villages, are being killed mercilessly, calls for sober reflection.
While extending his deep condolences to the families of the victims, Wamakko also assured that the security agencies will continue to do everything possible to end the operations of the bandits.
The former governor also appealed to all and sundry to continue to provide their maximum support and cooperation with the efforts of the government towards bringing the activities of the criminals to a quick end.
Recall that the State government through a statement by governor Tambuwal's spokesperson, Muhammad Bello, admitted that 23 persons were killed in the incident which occurred along with Gidan Bawa village of Isa local government on Monday morning.
The bandits were said to have set a commercial vehicle conveying dozens of passengers ablaze, leading to the death of innocent travellers.
Sources had earlier confirmed that the travellers were coming from Sabon Birni local government area of Sokoto East Senatorial district and heading to the southern part of Nigeria for their usual perennial dry season menial jobs.
Bandits have, in recent times, continued to intensify their hostilities in almost all the 8 local government areas of Sokoto East Senatorial District.
These upsurge in banditry attacks in villages and local governments that borders Zamfara State, according to security sources, might be a result of the successes which the Nigerian Security is attaining in routing them out of their strongholds in neighbouring Zamfara state.
Worried by these continued attacks on innocent villagers, some of the locals told NIGERIAN NEWS-LEADER Correspondent in Sokoto that they are making efforts to pay a Save-Our-Souls visit to the governor and appealed to him to allow them to fortify their local vigilantes that will go after the bandits.
Some of the locals who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said they are also making plans to write an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on why he should legalize activities of the local vigilantes and fuse them with security agencies like the North East civilian joint task force.
According to them, this would demonstrate that the Buhari government is truly determined to end the menace of insecurity in the North-Western states of Nigeria". NNL.
