Banditry, robbery in Niger state

Before Niger State turns to a comfortable hideout for cattle rustlers, roaming bandits and terrorists escaping from North East, the Niger State government, in collaboration with neighbouring state governments and the Fed Government, must act fast and now!

Activities of criminals suspected to be either cattle rustlers or fleeing terrorists dislodged from North Eastern Nigeria in Niger State is assuming a troubling dimension. Midnight of 9 days ago, the village of Alawa under Shiroro LGA, where yours truly had most of his formative years, was attacked by these bandits. With sophisticated modern weapons, in an operation that lasted hours, they killed 50 people including the District Head (who was slaughtered) and a Divisional Crime Officer of the NPF stationed there and burnt about 25 houses!

Also, just last Friday, in Kwanan Mariga, a village in Rafi LGA, another reprisal attack by some people suspected to be herdsmen, claimed four lives with four critically injured.

These incidents are very disturbing going by a number of factors.

Niger State has the largest land mass in the country. More than half of this vast land mass is uninhabited. So we have long stretches of wild forests and vegetation - a perfect requirement for criminal hide outs.

Also, in view of the near non-existent security strategy by the state government, criminal gangs and armed groups might have just found themselves a home in the wild forests of Niger State.

This is not to undermine the efforts of the state government so far, but it is pertinent to note that security issues are better dealt with frontally and seriously right from the beginning. The story of the rise of the now dreaded “Boko Haram” is all too familiar by now.

Usman Mohammed Chenche Lapai 07060815443