Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has publicly challenged the military’s approach to tackling insecurity, stating that their current strategy is “not working” in the face of escalating banditry and mass abductions across the North-West and North-Central regions of the country.
Speaking at the Government House in Birnin-Kebbi while hosting the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the Governor demanded for a full probe into the withdrawal of troops minutes before the recent abduction of 25 schoolgirls in his state.
This comment made by the Governor follows a mass abduction at the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, where 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped shortly after military personnel deployed to protect the school were allegedly withdrawn. This incident, alongside parallel abductions in Niger and Kwara states, has increased calls over the operational effectiveness of the security forces nationwide.
Governor Idris mentioned that state governments are fulfilling their obligations by providing substantial financial and logistical support, including purchasing over 100 vehicles for security agencies.
He expressed dismay over the military’s inability to dismantle large groups of bandits.
We are doing our obligations to the security agencies… but their security architecture is not working. How can over 500 bandits be moving on bikes on our highways without being checked…Yesterday it was Kebbi, today it is Niger and Kwara; who knows who is next?
He expressed regret over the decision to keep the school open based on security advice;
If we knew they would leave our girls for the bandits to take away, we wouldn’t have listened to the advice they gave us to deploy security personnel. We would have just shut down the school
House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas visited Kebbi to commiserate with the families of the victims, making a donation of N30 million to the families of the deceased school Vice Principal and Watchman, who were killed during the attack.
We are with you and we will continue to find how to secure the girls
Governor Idris’s critique is aimed towards pressuring the Nigerian military leadership to urgently review its anti-banditry tactics and provide accountability regarding the troop withdrawal in Maga.
Leave a comment