Address Zamfara Killings Before Another Boko Haram Situation Emerges, Group Tells Nigerian Govt

Address Zamfara Killings Before Another Boko Haram Situation Emerges, Group Tells Nigerian Govt

The remains of four residents killed by armed bandits at Nassarawa Gödel, being prepared for burial in the community in Zamfara State

Daily Trust

A human rights group, Save Nigeria Coalition (SNC), has condemned the recent attacks in Zamfara State where close to hundred people lost their lives and millions of properties detroyed.

In a statement obtained by SaharaReporters, the group stated that the attacks was "very troubling and baffling as innocent persons were murdered in their prime".

Comrade Yusuf Msheliza, National Convener of the group, who signed the statement, accused politicians of being behind the attacks.

Msheliza, however, appealed to the Nigerian Government to call the state governor and his associates to order before the situation gets out of hand in Zamfara State.

The statement read: "Here is a state that was peaceful and set to becoming a replacement of economic hub for what the country has lost in the Borno State axis where farming and fishing in the Lake Chad Basin have been disrupted by terrorists. The same Zamfara State has now metamorphosed into a killing field where unknown killers are now on rampage.

"We of course acknowledged that the state in the past had occasional incidents of cattle rustling and incidents of robberies like any other part of the country or even other countries of the world. The state graduating to banditry on an industrial scale was quite a surprise, but the surprise was only up till the time that information has now trickled out to provide details about how the political bigwigs in the state have been stoking the fire of banditry, especially upon their rejection by their party members as flag bearers in the 2019 elections.

"There is no point dilly dallying about what we have found out. The upsurge in banditry is politically masterminded by the Zamfara State Governor Yari. The governor, unfortunately, is supported by some All Progressives Congress (APC) members in his camp. These elements who lost out in the primaries are embittered that they were unable to get tickets as candidates. It is no coincidence that bandits have gone on killing spree since they lost out.

"Nigerians will therefore not tolerate a situation where politicians, irrespective of whether they lost primary elections, release killers in the guise of bandits to create another security threat for the country."

The group also asked the governor and his supporters in the APC to respect the sanctity of life and ensure they find the people behind the attacks with a view of bringing them to book.

The statement continued: "They must also publicly renounce violence in any guise in addition to distancing themselves from acts that amount to endorsing violence as the answer when the permutation does not favour them. The governors of the neighbouring states must do their part, which would in a way reassure Nigerians that they are not part of the political syndicate that is encouraging bandits to launch attacks against communities in the area.

"We urge the Federal Government to step into the situation before it gets out of hand. While the state governor presently enjoys immunity, his aides that do not enjoy immunity and found to be complicit in the banditry related killings in the state must be shown the full wrath of the law.

"Again, we warn that we must not have another Boko Haram in the country before steps are taken to bring those behind the carnage in Zamfara to book."

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SaharaReporters, New York



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Source: Address Zamfara Killings Before Another Boko Haram Situation Emerges, Group Tells Nigerian Govt