Niger LG boss laments ‘one chance’ killings

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

The Chairman of Tafa Local Government in Niger State, Alhaji Ado Abubakar has lamented over the recent killings carried out by persons operating with commercial vehicles, known as “one chance” drivers in the area.
Abubakar made the disclosure in an interview after a meeting with about 360 political appointees from 10 wards of the council, lamenting that the trend was alarming due to the difficulty in tracking and preventing the menace.
Reports revealed that a suspected ‘one chance’ driver was set ablaze by irate mob last Friday at the Madalla Market along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway.
“It is becoming an issue for us now because we are called on whenever a corpse is discovered in the bush. Most of the victims are strangled to death and then thrown into the bush by the perpetrators.
“This is a challenge to the council because this incidence always begins from the Zuba park, where people board vehicles. So, it is difficult for us to monitor and curtail. But we are working with security agencies to come up with measures to tackle this serious issue,” he said.
The chairman also called on residents of the area to be vigilant about security, during and after the Christmas and New Year festivities, to avoid being infiltrated by undesirable element.
He charged residents to be their brothers’ keepers and report all suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies and traditional leaders close to them.
“When you participate in ensuring the security of lives and property, the dividend is always positive. Through giving useful information to relevant authorities a lot is done security wise.
“The council is working with all security agencies to keep the relative peace enjoyed by residents of Tafa Local Government Area. We give logistical support to them including the vigilante groups. Recently we donated some motorcycles to vigilante members to assist them in movement.”
Abubakar also said that his administration was curtailing the farmer and herdsmen clashes through community dialogue and sensitization that has yielded the much needed positive results.
He said attention is paid to new herdsmen coming into communities, adding that this has led to proactive measures taken by the council and security agencies in preventing conflicts between the two groups.
At the stakeholders meeting, decision was also taken to endorse the candidature of Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger in 2019 election. The unanimous endorsement was taken after the Chairman moved the motion. The meeting also endorsed Abubakar for the 2019 election as chairman or any position he may contest for.
The chairman described the political endorsement as a vote on confidence on the development programmes and projects of the APC-led state and local government in the last two years.