23 LGAs battling insecurity in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi

Residents of at least 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States are battling to survive as kidnappers, cattle rustlers and bandits make life difficult for them.

A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) indicates that residents of the affected areas have either been forced to migrate, enter into agreement with the criminals or live a life of uncertainty.

In Sokoto State, residents said local government areas worst affected are Isa, Sabon Birni, Gwadabawa, Illela, Tangaza, and Goronyo.

NAN gathered that residents had been forced to abandon their farms, while some villages had been deserted across the affected LGAs.

Malam Abubakar Bawa, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Ahmed Aliyu, said that the state government was aware of the enormity of the situation.

“We are giving priority to ensuring a safe environment. Addressing security challenges has remained top on our administration’s nine-point agenda.

“Our target as a government is to ensure that citizens sleep with their two eyes close and continue to live and relate peacefully with one another,’’ he said.

He assured that the Nigerian Army, Police and other security agencies have been sustaining efforts to secure the areas.

The governor’s spokesman said the government would continue to provide all necessary support for the security agencies to address the challenges.

Also, Spokesman of the Police Command in Sokoto State, ASP Ahmad Rufai, said the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Kaigama, has been engaging residents to facilitate the flow of actionable information to address banditry and other criminalities.

He said the command had adopted measures deployed personnel and materials, and have been collaborating with other security agencies to end banditry and other criminalities in the state.

The police spokesman said local governments in eastern parts of Sokoto state were mostly affected by the security challenges.

In Zamfara, a civil society activist, Mr Faruk Shehu, said
many communities in the 14 LGAs of the state have been displaced, with residents of Maru, Anka, Shinkafi, Maradun, Zurmi, Gusau and Bungudu LGAs, worst affected.