Mallam Garba Usman, a security expert has faulted the federal government for the incessant insecurity situation ravaging the entire country, particularly Zamfara State, saying that its too weak to control the ugly situation.
The security expert explained that the Federal Government has the constitutional responsibility of securing the lives and properties of its citizens, pointing out that states have no police and military but rely on the Federal Government for security.
Mallam Usman while speaking to newsmen noted that the insecurity situation in the state calls for public attention and a well-coordinated security network.
“The situation has become worse and unbearable as people can no longer sleep with their two eyes close because of the terror attacks everywhere in the state,” he said.
“Many people especially the strangers have relocated from the State because of the worsening insecurity situation, making commerce go down drastically.
“But we cannot run away from the reality and the truth remains that both the federal and state governments should be blamed for the constant loss of lives and properties in the state. The people are living as if there no government to control the ugly situation.”
Usman lamented that Zamfara residents are faced with the pressing issue of insecurity as armed bandits have placed it as one of the most unsecured parts of the country with devastating effects on the people.
Speaking further, he said that thousands of locals have fled their homes, taking refuge in neighbouring states to live under unfavourable conditions, stressing that the situation has forced farmers, especially in the rural areas to abandon their farmlands and homes for an uncertain life in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
“These monstrous insecurity situation has affected virtually all the sectors of life, therefore, our priorities have been set by the circumstances on ground,” he said.
According to him, the number of people being killed on a daily basis in Zamfara State surpassed the number of people being killed by Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast states put together.
Usman lamented that the protracted insecurity situation has resulted to the total collapse of agriculture which he said had been the mainstay of the State’s economy.
He pointed out that it is embarrassing for a state that prised itself in agriculture and agro-industrial crops to be now a beggar state at the mercy of hunger and starvation due to the resultant effects of banditry.
The security expert noted that since the terror attacks started in the state over a decade ago, none of the claimed arrested bandits has been prosecuted to prove the government’s sincerity of purpose and commitment to addressing the ugly trend.
He however expressed fear that in Zamfara State, the 2023 general elections may be full of irregularities and inconclusive in some rural areas where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may not be able to cover as a result of insecurity.
Mallam Usman noted that security experts have in the past proffered meaningful suggestions on how to end the dastardly acts but the government threw the suggestions into another waste bin, rather than making empty propaganda on how it is dealing with the criminal elements, yet the bandits are waxing stronger.
He advised the security chiefs in the state to as a matter of fact design a formidable strategy and find out whether these bandits are operating on their own and whether there are unseen hands responsible for all these dastard acts in the State.
“It seems that Governor Matawalle has sensed this that he sworn with the Holy Quran that he had no hand in banditry in the state”, he said, calling on Gen. Aliyu Gusau and other prominent individuals to do same to prove themselves innocent.
According to the security expert, up till now, none of these influential individuals come out boldly to take the oath, signifying that there is a hidden agenda as far as the issue of security is concerned.
He further stated that banditry have made thousands of women widows, thousands of children orphans in the state, urging both the federal and state governments to wake up from their slumbers and do the needful.
“If the bandits kill and abduct everyone in Zamfara State, who will elect the politicians that are running away from their state because of insecurity?” he querried.