Katsina State’s rate of killings and kidnappings has become so ‘ alarming ‘ that a legislator wants an emergency state declared in parts of the state.
On Thursday, Ahmed Dayyabu-Safana, the lawmaker representing Baure / Zango Federal Constituency, decried the rising rate of killings in Katsina State, President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state.
Mr Dayyabu-Safana said there had been a serial attack on some villages within his constituency with many people being killed by armed bandits.
However, the killings are not limited to the Katsina constituency of Mr Dayyabu-Safana. Recent reports of state-wide killings and kidnappings have occurred.
One of the latest incidents occurred in Daura, home town of President Muhammadu Buhari. Four gunmen kidnapped the village’s District Head on Wednesday. Some people have also been killed during the attack, reportedly.
Worried by the violence, Mr Dayyabu-Safana moved a motion on the urgent “Need for Federal Government Intervention on the continuing wanton murder of Innocent Persons, Property Destruction, Armed Robbery and Heavily Armed Bandits Operating Within Safana / Batsari / Dansamu Federal Constituency.”
According to him, an ‘ alarming stage ‘ has been reached by the recent spate of the said attacks on his constituency members. He said this act’s perpetrators are continually killing innocent people.
“They set their homes on fire while men and women without defense are kidnapped to an unknown destination. There are currently up to four villages under attack within my constituency in the last 48 hours,” the lawmaker said on Thursday.
“The villages are Massa in Batasari Local Government Area, where no less than five people have been killed, and Alhazawa in Safana LGA has been completely displaced. Guzurawa village in Safana LGA also has several people murdered in cold blood.
“And just yesterday (Wednesday), Gobirawa Village was attacked with no less than twelve dead bodies littered in the bush while many are still missing. These killings have continued unabated and with a specific instance at Gobirawa Village in Safana LGA, these bandits appear to be unstoppable.
“When they saw the bandits coming back to launch another offensive, the bereaved villagers are forced to give up the bodies during the burial and scamper for safety,” he said.
He expressed concern that sophisticated weapons, including AK 47 assault rifles, were paraded by the bandits, who operated on motorcycles both at night and in wide daylight.
Despite persistent screams from the affected communities, the lawmaker said the security operatives appeared not to be proactive, particularly on safety tips off, and most of the time failed to respond promptly.
“Any government’s fundamental duty is to protect and preserve life and property by being responsive to this kind of cruelty and atrocity committed against its citizen.
“Whenever these levels of inhuman and brutal attacks are inflicted on any community or group of people, it is the constitutional duty and responsibility of this Holy Chamber to take action,” he said.
Several lawmakers took turns condemning the recent attacks and have called for the federal government to take immediate action.
House Speaker Yakubu Dogara said it was necessary to invite the president to an address as the banditry issue had become a national issue.
Following his motion, Mr. Dayyabu-Safana said the president should urgently declare a state of emergency in the federal constituency as an immediate step in containing the evil activities of the heavily armed bandits. That was accepted by the legislators as a resolution.
The House also decided to invite the president to address the nation on measures taken to address rising murder, banditry, armed robbery, and kidnapping cases. There was no official date to appear before the lower chamber for the president.
The lawmakers urged the federal government to deploy the military to assist the police and other security agencies in flushing out the criminal elements in the areas under attack.
The lawmakers also called for a state of emergency declaration in the constituency of Mr Dayyabu-Safana.
They urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide the victims of the attacks with emergency relief materials.
Members unanimously adopted the resolutions when the Speaker put it to a vote.