The Niger State government has called for military intervention after bandits overran a local community, escalating concerns about rising insecurity and the need for immediate action.
The Acting Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, has urged the Federal Government to quickly move military troops to the Alawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area within the state.
Armed bandits recently took control of the community.
It has been five months since the federal government withdrew troops from the area, resulting in increased susceptibility of incessant bandit attacks within the community.
Governor Garba made an appeal following a recent horrific assault that occurred on Wednesday. During the attack, 13 farmers were ruthlessly murdered while tending to their crops in the outskirts of the Alawa community.
The assault has escalated the already prevalent anxiety in the locality, provoking an alarming sense of peril among locals and causing numerous individuals to relocate to more secure regions.
Bandit activity has turned Alawa, once a peaceful farming community, into a hotspot.
The lack of military security has empowered the lawbreakers, resulting in recurrent invasions, fatalities and forcing numerous inhabitants to flee.
The declining security situation in the locality is brought to sharp focus by the recent assault on farmers.
While visiting the community, Garba had a meeting with families of the victims who were mourning. One among them was Shamsiya Yahaya, an unfortunate woman who has suffered from numerous devastations caused by these bandits.
Shamsiya and her family had to flee to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Kuta, the headquarters of Shiroro Local Government Area after her father was killed in a similar attack that occurred five years ago.
Due to the persistent attacks by bandits, many individuals have been compelled to leave their houses and seek refuge in Kuta, which has now become a safe haven for them.
The administrative center of Shiroro is experiencing difficulties in managing the surge of individuals seeking refuge, causing strain on the town’s resources.
The conditions of living in the IDP camps have worsened drastically, as there is insufficient availability of basic necessities like food, water and medical attention.
Garba has stressed the imperative requirement of military intervention to reinstate security and safeguard the lives of innocent civilians, as Alawa confronts a critical situation.
The warning was given that if prompt measures were not taken, the aggression could intensify resulting in additional casualties and migrations.
According to Governor Garba, “Our communities are vulnerable due to the absence of military personnel. Alawa’s population is mostly made up of farmers who cannot safely tend their fields as attacks loom over them. We urge the federal government to intervene promptly and redeploy troops for our people’s protection.”
The plea made by the Acting Governor brings attention to the larger problem of insecurity in Niger State. The region has been suffering from banditry, kidnapping, and various other acts of violence over the past few years.
The fate of Alawa and other communities within the vicinity will heavily rely on the response of the federal government towards this crisis, according to his statement.
Despite the ongoing struggle with the aftermath of the recent attack, residents in Alawa and Shiroro Local Government Area maintain a hopeful outlook that their pleas for assistance will be acknowledged and appropriate measures will be implemented to safeguard their wellbeing.
