Terrorists murder Northern emir, return to his domain, state lawmaker laments inadequate security personnel
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Terrorists who on August 21 murdered Isa Bawa, the Emir of Gobi in Sokoto State, have returned less than two weeks later to kidnap more than 150 people and rustle more than 1,000 heads of cattle in his domain, a preventable double tragedy in the North West that does not bother Abuja as it now talks less about insecurity.
The federal government hardly talks about insecurity these days, giving the impression the scourge has been tackled by Bola Tinubu so that citizens would not ask questions as the President enjoys his new perks of office – a $100 million jet retrofitted with another $50 million, a N5 billion yacht, and a fleet of luxury SUVs that further elongates his motorcade amid the deepening poverty of citizens.
Bawa, 73, who was also the District Head of Gatawa, was abducted on July 29 along with his sons and six others while travelling from Sokoto to Sabon Birni near the border with Niger Republic.
In a video posted by the murders, Bawa was seen with his hands and legs tied appealing to the Sokoto government, the Sultanate council, his relatives, and friends to help pay the ransom demanded by the terrorists.
He said his abductors gave a deadline for the payment of ransom, failing which they would kill him.
Hundreds of youths staged protests after his killing, which forced the Sokoto government to impose a curfew on Sabon Birni.
“Why do bandits go to markets freely and sell their cows in the area?”
Bello Bada, a professor in the Department of English at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, who disclosed the latest incident to Daily Trust, lamented how the criminals were able to return to the emirate a few days after they killed Bawa.
His words: “The most painful thing about it is that some important people in the area could access the telephone numbers of the bandits and could even have conversations with them. Why? It means the bandits are known.
“People in the area go for negotiation with bandits; it means they know where they are. Why do bandits go to markets freely and sell their cows in the area?
“Why is it that in the area about 1,000 cows were carted away by bandits? Do the cows have wings to fly? What about our intelligence? How did the bandits pass through villages and towns without being noticed?
“They are taking the rustled cattle into the bush while at the same time, residents of some communities within the district are inside the same bush mining for gold. No, something is wrong. We should tell ourselves the truth. We have to sit down and address this problem for the future of our children.”
Inadequate security personnel
Aminu Boza, who represents Sabon Birni (North) in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, confirmed that a total 151 people were abducted between Tsamaye and Sabon Birni.
“A day after the death of Sarkin Gobir, the bandits attacked Tsamaye village again, killing some people and abducting unspecified others,” he said.
“They also attacked Yanfaruna village and abducted 22 people and they went to the next village and abducted 11 people.
“So, a total of 192 people have been abducted and they are still in captivity.
“Besides the abduction of people, we have lost over 20,000 hectares of land to the bandits. They stopped our people from cultivating the land for several years now. Over 92 per cent of our wealth has been wasted by these bandits.”
Boza disclosed there are no security personnel in most of the terror-prone areas in Sabon Birni, which include Kwanar Maharba, Turtsawa, Unguwar Lalle, Tagirke, and Kwanar Tambazawa.
“Kwanar Maharba is the most dangerous spot among all the spots I have mentioned. Banditry operation is taking place in this particular spot almost daily.
“Some of our people had to change their route through Niger Republic whenever they are going to Sokoto because it is safer. We don’t have a single security checkpoint along that road.
“The locations of most of the bandits’ leaders are known. Bello Turji, for instance, is residing in Fakai, and from Fakai to Shinkafi is a distance of less than three kilometers. Halilu is residing in Tsububu village and Jummo Baki in Gangara village.
“Three days ago, I met the Sokoto State Deputy Governor and together we are making efforts for the deployment of an additional 1,200 soldiers to Sokoto State, and Sabon Birni will get additional security personnel in the next one week.”
Boza appealed to the federal government to listen to the plight of the residents of Sabon Birni.
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