— Governor Abdulaziz Yari of
State, yesterday, threw his weights behind the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the state, following persistent attacks which have claimed many lives in the state.
He also blamed the continued killings in the state on informants who support the bandits and kidnappers.
Yari, addressing newsmen in Gusau, said: “I am also in support of the declaration of state of emergency if it will save the lives of people of the state,” warning politicians against politicizing the disturbing security situation in the state. This came less than 24 hours after former Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose on his Twitter handle alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government was working to deny the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, taking over the state in the governorship, National and House of Assemblies elections, which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, excluded them (APC) from taking part, except the presidential election. Fayose had twitted: “I have been reliably informed that the FG is plotting to hide under the killings in Zamfara State by armed bandits to impose emergency rule on the state. This is their response to the insistence of INEC not to allow APC field candidates for the 2019 general election in the state. “With the emergency rule, there will only be Presidential and National Assembly elections in Zamfara in February next year while governorship and state House of Assembly elections will be postponed till May,” he had said. Informants worsening situation — Yari Governor Yari at the briefing said “We are talking about the lives of our people and this needs the coming together of all, so that the crisis can end. If the provisions of my office had allowed me to carry arms against the bandits, I would have done so. “But, if I am not around, there are capable hands that collaborate with the security team in the fight against the bandits. The security men are doing their best. “But, it is sad to know that some of the people involved in the kidnappings are close relatives or associates of the victims, which is part of the reasons the problem is persisting. We must all come together and expose anyone or group that is part of these hoodlums, and we should also pray for Allah’s intervention,” Yari said. He said that both state and federal governments as well as security agencies had been making efforts to address the situation, and lamented that informants had made it difficult for security agencies in the state to operate effectively. The governor said that most of the bandits and kidnappers receive information from people in the state, which he said was “unfortunate.” He said that President Buhari was doing his best to end the situation and had deployed more security personnel to the state. “Before Buhari’s administration, we have few security personnel in this state, but today we have about 4,000 security personnel including Army, Police and Civil Defence. “I held a meeting earlier today with traditional rulers and local government council chairmen. We are working hand in hand with all stakeholders to ensure that we end this situation,” he said. He urged the people of the state to stop blaming government for security challenges. “I am calling on communities to always support security agencies with information on suspcious movement in their respective areas,” he said. Zamfara killings unacceptable — Saraki Similarly, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has described the killings in Zamfara State as barbaric, unacceptable and called on the security agencies to swiftly devise a strategy to put an end to the ugly situation. Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that the situation in Zamfara State was a demonstration that unlike in 2015 when the only crisis point in the Northern part of the country was the North-East zone, the North-West has today been engulfed by a bloody situation in which human lives are wasted on a daily basis. He said the killings have gone on for too long and the situation has not been given the desired attention as well as the right strategy that will stop it, adding that there was a clear indication of systemic failure. More security measures underway — Dambazzau Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), has assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s readiness to deploy additional security resources to end the destruction of lives and property in Zamfara State
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/12/killings-im-for-emergency-rule-in-zamfara-gov-yari/
