By Correspondent in Minna.
The Niger Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, Mr. Emmanuel Umar says the Level of sophistication by Boko-Haram, Fulani militia and the ISWAP has made it making it almost impossible for about eight local government areas of the state to be free from attacks by the criminal elements.
He made the disclosed this in a keynote lecture at the one day public lecture, organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Council,in Minna, to commemorate 46th years existence of the state.
The Commissioner also identified that Nigeria’s porous boarders providing easy access to criminally minded persons from neighbouring countries as another factor had further worsened the frightening situation.
The Commissioner expressed fear about the involvement of some family members in the atrocities committed by the terror groups but stressed the need for a realistic approach that would involve support and commitment of all with the federal government for effective manning of the nation’s boarder posts by patriotic Nigerians.
Also speaking at the occasion with the theme: ‘Insecurity in Niger State, the Way Out’, the General Manager, Radio Niger, Alhaji Kabiru Ibrahim, lamented that, Niger state, known to be one of the food basket of Nigeria had been reduced to nothing due to the activities of the terror groups.
“Families being wiped out, killings, abductions, destruction of properties including entire life time earnings on a daily basis by the terror groups, using more sophisticated lethal weapons than Nigeria’s security forces.
“Communities losing their farm lands and produce to armed bandits who impose taxes on them before they are allowed access to their farm lands or to harvest the fruits of their labour only amounts to the highest level of wickedness and inhumanity,” Kabiru said.
He therefore pleaded on the President Muhammadu Buhari led government to end assist the the siege.
The Chairman of NUJ in the state, Comrade Abu Nmodu, had earlier in an address of welcome said the occasion was to provide the opportunity for journalists to interact with professionals and key stakeholders on issues of security and the way forward towards ending security challenges.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
