Most local government councils in Zamfara State would soon run out of funds to pay their workers salaries and foot tangible development projects. A large chunk of their revenue is currently being utilised in settling suspected terrorists.
The Federal Government of Nigeria under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be aware of where councils’ revenue in the troubled state is going.
Vice-Chairman of Shinkafi Local Government Area, Sani Galadima, told Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Dambazau, a retired Army General, on Monday that the council was paying terrorists ransoms daily in a seeming desperate bid to buy an elusive peace.
Galadima also confirmed that the rampaging bandits in the state killed six members of the Civilian Joint Task Force in the area.
Dambazau was in the state to assess the security threat being posed by banditry and listen to the challenges facing the people. He also visited the Emir of Bungudu, Hassan Attahiru, in his palace where stakeholders expressed their travails at the hands of bandits operating in the state to him.
The News Agency of Nigeria however, reported that Galadima after highlighting the challenges facing the people of his local government area as a result of banditry said every day “we pay ransom to bandits”, adding “six members of the Civilian JTF were attacked and killed on Sunday by the bandits after receiving their pay from Shinkafi town and were on their way back to their villages.’’
That same Sunday, the terrorists allegedly sent a letter to the district head of Shinkafi town claiming that they were coming to attack the town.
According to Galadima, “this ugly situation is very disheartening; every day we pay millions of naira in ransom to these bandits. We really need government’s urgent support to end this problem. Our women also suffer a lot (because) the bandits attack communities and abduct ladies from their parents’ homes. People no longer sleep with their two eyes closed in the night in Shinkafi LGA.
“We want the government to resolve the issue of shortage of troops and police. We only have 19 soldiers in this town. We need urgent intervention from the government; we are not satisfied with the efforts and strategies of the security agencies. We all know the camps where these bandits stay; even the security men are aware of these camps; our major concern is that security personnel are not getting to these bandits.We are hoping that with this visit, this problem will come to an end.”
While the council deputy chief pointed out that at least 98 communities in the local government area have been deserted due to the activities of bandits in the state, the minister said, “this is not my first visit to Zamfara; we started this process to ensure lasting solutions to these problems, not only in Zamfara.
“President Buhari asked me to visit Shinkafi and Anka emirates in Zamfara to carry out the assessment and discuss these issues. The President also expresses his condolence over loss of lives and destruction of properties as a result of insecurity.
“It is the responsibility of government to ensure lives and properties are secure. That is why we must do everything possible to ensure the end of this situation. We commenced this process by meeting with the leaders of Miyetti Allah; we are going to consult with traditional rulers and governors of the most affected states.”
Meanwhile, the Emir of Shinkafi, Muhammad Makwashe-Isah, who hailed the minister for the visit, also urged the Federal Government to do more in fighting banditry in the state.
