By Idris Salisu
Gusau
The Emir of Maradun in Zamfara State, Alhaji Garba Tambari Maradun, has condemned the non-performance of security operators in the state, which, according to him, has led to the prolonged killings of innocent citizens by the bandits.
The emir made the pronouncement during the mass burial of 20 people of Magami village of Maradun council, who were attacked and killed by the bandits along with the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in the area, Alhaji Aliyu Abbas, recently.
It would be recalled that on Saturday around 4:30pm, not less than 20 armed bandits, all on motorcycles with sophisticated weapons, surrounded Magami village and opened fire on people who were busy praying inside mosque, leaving 20 people dead.
The Emir of Maradun told the acting Governor Alhaji Sanusi Garbage Rikiji and the security chiefs, who attended the burial of the deceased persons, that the performance of security agents in fighting bandits was questionable.
Tambari, who looked so disturbed, said that he wondered why the security agents despite reporting to them about activities of the bandits in the areas, could not strategize to face or confront the bandits in their dens.
“We had been reporting the activities of the bandits to the Security Council meetings yet no serious action had been taken to end the banditry”, he added.
The monarch, however, lamented that considerable number of towns and villages were under the authority of the bandits, therefore challenged the security agents to wake up to bring down the armed banditry in the state.
The state acting Governor, Allaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, however, condemned the action of the bandits and urged security agents to go back to the drawing board with a view to end the menace.
He said with the relocation of One Battalion Brigade from Sokoto to Gusau and Operation Sharan Daji and other security operatives yet the banditry persists to the alarming rate.
According to him, the state government has been very responsive to giving logistics to the security for the fight against the bandits.
He promised to meet with all stakeholders to review the security challenges facing the state and proffer solutions to end the menace.
