Fresh attacks: Zamfara blames troops for ignoring distress calls by communities

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

Zamfara State Government has attributed the incessant fresh attacks by recalcitrant bandits to the troops’ refusal to respond to distress calls by the attacked communities.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Mohammed Dauran while briefing Journalists on the release of 53 abducted people of Bingi ward under Bungudu local government area of the state.

Mohammed Dauran said, the recalcitrant bandits have invaded Bingi ward and abducted innocent people that involved men, women and children at gun point.

He cried that, “We had an intelligent report of the bandits coming to the affected ward, and I personally gave several calls to the troops in order to do the needful so that the attack could be repelled, but none of the troops moved to the alerted community.

“The troops’ refusal to response to distress calls had contributed immensely for the bandits to succeeded their nasty operation in Bingi ward which lasted for some hours unchallenged before they finally taken the released 53 community members into their custody.

“The kind of negative response by the troops remain same at some places, the unwanted development which gave the bandits breathe to move freely from one place to another for their filthy operations”, Dauran has complained.

Over seventy people were reported to have been abducted by bandits last week Friday who according to the Commissioner were released with no ransom paid through the State Government’s Peace and Reconciliation Initiative.

He further informed that, his ministry in collaboration with Zamfara State Police Command, had jointly worked to ensure the release of the 53 abducted people.

The Spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Shehu Mohammed, called on the people in the state to continue giving credible information to the Police with a view to act promptly for the sake of saving innocent lives and properties.