Dansadau demands compensation for Zamfara attack victims
A former senator from Zamfara state, Saidu Muhammad Dansadau has called on the Federal Government to compensate the families of the victims of the recent attack in the state.
He made the call at his residence in Abuja yesterday in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust growing insecurity in the country.
Dansadau, who is also a delegate at the ongoing National Conference, lamented the recurrent killings and destruction of property.
He said the situation has gotten out of hand as security agencies in the affected areas have failed to protect the lives and properties of the people.
“Anything short of compensation to the victims of the attack or to their families for those (that) lost their lives will not be accepted. We don’t want anybody to take relief materials to our communities. We have had enough of these killings. The government must take responsibility for its failures and compensate the lives and properties lost to this crisis,” he said.
Dansadau also accused the Inspector General of Police who is from the state of failing to protect his people. He accused him of refusing to grant him an audience when he went to see him on the issue.
The former senator alleged that the police in Zamfara state were in connivance with the criminals because the people have been providing them with the necessary information regarding the locations where the hoodlums are in the forests but they failed to act.
He recalls that there was a time Ali Kwara (a crime fighter) went to Zamfara state and arrested some Fulani armed robbers in which some policemen were indicted for allegedly arming the criminals. The case was swept under the carpet by the police, he said.
“Even the other Fulanis are not safe. They attack any Fulani man or woman who refuses to cooperate with them. The criminal elements are the ones perpetrating the acts not all the Fulanis and we have been providing the government with all the support and information, but it seems that there is no strong will to tackle the situation,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of resource control as raised by the Lamido Adamawa at the National Conference, he expressed his total support of the idea.
He said states should be allowed to control and use their resources but quickly added that there should be a proper mechanism to use the money judiciously.
“Even in the Niger Delta where the governors received billions of Naira, there is no corresponding developmental impact to justify the money being received. The poor people are still suffering like in places where they don’t receive such monies. Therefore, the money being allocated for the development in those places is only being enjoyed by people in power and their cronies,” he added.