By Correspondent in Minna
Women group, under the auspice of Lapai Azza Women Development Association, has called on the federal and state government to intensify efforts at ending armed banditry and general insecurity taking negative toll, more on the women and children in some parts of the country.
“When the men are killed, it is the wives that suffer the pain more as widows, when children are killed, the mothers bear the agony more. Mothers and their daughters also face rape and they suffer psychological consequences, hence, always at the receiving end of all the atrocities associated with the prevalent insecurity.
“Persistent banditry and Boko Haram attacks on communities across the country always have the women and children as the most vulnerable, that is why we are calling on the government to please evolve practical ways of tackling the challenge,” the Chairperson of Lapai Azza Women Development Association, Hajiya Amina Mohammad Gulu lamented.
Gulu, in an interview in Minna over the weekend also decried the increasing number of widows, orphans and destitutes as a result of deaths caused by the activities of armed bandits and Boko-Haram insurgents and therefore called on the government to stop paying lip service and quickly find lasting solution to insecurity.
She added,”Women in their numbers have been killed and raped while their children are abducted, some of them never return alive, causing untold mental hardship, hence the need for all three tiers of government to provide all that is required for security agencies to prove their worth.
“It is not just about claiming to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria, we want to see these things happening live by exhibiting extra ordinary skills that will bring to an end, the siege by criminal elements.”
While calling on all mothers, wives, daughters and sisters from Lapai Azza extraction to join hands in the move to draw government attention to the clarion call for an end to armed banditry, Gulu said the women had become so disenchanted with tales of horrific experiences women who narrowly escaped death in the den of the armed bandits usually go through.
Meanwhile, the association said it was making efforts aimed at creating awareness to encourage fellow women on how to be self sustaining, preparatory to joining politics and as well be actively involved in the coming political dispensation, according to Gulu.
To actualise this, Gulu said the association had commenced shortlisting of all eligible women, to come together and speak with one voice, to be fully captured in other activities that would be of immense benefit for their self sustanance.
“The association is to unite the womenfolk of Lapai Azza extraction, with a view to instilling in them abilities to love one another, share ideas and speak with one voice, respond to the challenges of development associated with education, health, community development, poverty reduction and good governance.”
She further hinted that, “Promoting peaceful coexistence, strengthening behavioral and attitudinal change, advocacy for women education and youth development programmes were parts of the agenda of the association.
She, however, emphasized the need for the women to seek for knowledge by enrolling in educational institutions to acquire business skills and development concepts “which shall pave way for a brighter future for them and their children, grand children and generations to come.”
In another development, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has declared special weekly prayer session across the eight Emirate councils to seek God’s intervention to end security siege in the state.
He disclosed this while speaking at the flag-off of the session with some Islamic Scholars, state government officials, traditional leaders in the state as well as other key stakeholders at the central mosque in Minna in attendance. Bello said only God can bring an end the activities of the armed bandits.
Our Correspondent reports that the special prayer, led by the Chief Imam of Minna Central Mosque, Mallam Ibrahim Isah Fari also featured recitation of some verses from the Holy Qur’an and supplications for God’s intervention in stopping security challenges confronting the state and the nation.
The Governor told journalists, shortly after the prayers, that there was need for all and sundry to join in fervent prayers to God Almighty, assuring that the state and federal governments were not leaving any stone unturned to ensure speedy end to insecurity.
Bello,who attributed significant progress so far achieved in restoring normalcy to some troubled communities in the state to intercessory prayers, called on more people to join in prayers, even after Ramadan fast.
“We encourage every Nigerlite and all stakeholders to support efforts of the State and Federal governments with prayers. With God, I believe anything is possible.”
Yet in another development, retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, says he has no link with armed bandits and other terrorists group as being speculated in some quarters in the country.
Abubakar,a former Military Head of state, in a statement signed by his media aide,Dr Yakubu Suleiman in Minna described as ‘false and unfounded imagination of the peddlers’ reports linking him with armed bandits and other terrorist groups that had been operating for years in Niger state.
He accused some selected online media of linking him to a purported arrested helicopter supplying food and weapons to bandits operating in parts of Niger state and called on them to desist from such negative attitude.
The former Head of State, who said he reacted on time, realising the fact that such fake news could aggravate tensed security atmosphere in the country, called on Nigerians
to ignore such treacherous acts.
He also advised the people to exercise caution with the nature of information they dish out or share on Social Media but continue to pray for enduring peace and eschew ethnic and other divisive expressions in the interest of peace and development of Nigeria.
