We need support to fight banditry – Bauchi Gov Mohammed begs FG

Bauchi Governor, Sen. Bala Mohammed, has lamented that the State is becoming a hotbed for kidnapping activities.

This is as the governor solicited the Federal Government’s support to fight banditry.

Mohammed solicited the FG’s support during his visit to vigilantes and local hunters in the Lere community, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state yesterday, to boost their morale in the fight against banditry.

He was accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, Auwal Muhammad, heads of top security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, and top government officials.

In his words, “This place is the route of the miscreants from the North-West. My colleagues from the North-West have come together to fight this scourge of banditry and they are going to do it at the highest level with the support of the Federal Government.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to also support Bauchi State to fight banditry. We are taking the brunt. As they are working on terrorism, we are getting the backlash because we are surrounded by seven states. We are a gateway to prosperity and also a gateway to criminals, and we are overstretched and working together with minimal support.”

According to him, the local security men have killed no fewer than 67 bandits and rescued 28 kidnapped victims so far.

He also announced the donation of N10 million and 30 motorcycles to the vigilantes and hunters.

Mohammed promised to continue to support the police and other security agencies, including the local vigilante, to curtail the incursion of bandits in the area.

In a welcome address, the Caretaker Chairman, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Samaila Wakili, lamented that the area is now a gateway for criminals.

“For over 41 days, there is not a single day that people are not being kidnapped or our roads blocked by armed robbers, some of them were even killed. This has caused us great trouble.

“We kept meeting and discussing how to address these issues and at the end of the day, commanders of vigilantes and hunters saw that it was getting out of hand. They requested us to seek permission from security agencies to allow them to confront the bandits in the bushes.

“And Alhamdullilah, we recorded great success. They were able to arrest 36 of them,” Wakili said.