By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is this Friday expected to receive the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed who will brief about the unfortunate banditry activities that has displaced about 10 villages whose residents are now taking refuge in the neighbouring Gombe state.
Governor Bala revealed, “We have a place called ‘Dajin Madam’ where all these bandits are gathering, and they are recruiting people outside our environment and even within us. “Those that were involved in illegal mining that we hitherto removed from sites”
Senator Bala Mohammed who was speaking Thursday in Kashere, Gombe state where the displaced Bauchi villagers are taking shelter, commiserated with them over the trategy that left some people massacred, and several others injured.
The Governor cried, “I know our President is the President for everybody, I am going to meet him tomorrow Friday Insha-Allahu for him to give some directives to the military and police High Commands so that we can have concerted efforts in this area”.
Senator Bala Mohammed explained that the problems were so devastating that Bauchi has to seek the intervention of the federal government, stressing “The situation is very and the federal government should note”.
The Governor explained that communities from Mansur, Digare, Yelo, Futuk, Gwana, Mansur are among the villages and hamlets that have been pushed out by well armed bandits numbering about ten thousands”.
He said, “I am here to commiserate with our people from this part of Alkaleri Local Government Area where I came from. Day before yesterday I was in Duguri a village was overrun by bandits, but they stood their ground and forced them to runaway into the Plateau state.
Mohammed expressed gratitude to his Gombe state counterpart, Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya for his solidarity and fraternity, the people of Kashere especially His Royal Highness, the Emir of Pindiga, Alh. Abubakar Seyoji Ahmed, the LG Chairman, as well as their Cooperative Group which was said to have canvassed about N100 million in aid of the IDPs.
Governor Bala Mohammed also commended the people of Kashere for receiving the Bauchi displaced people not as IDPs, but as brothers and sisters, providing with shelter and food, as one people.
The Governor noted that it is not easy for the armless people in the villages and hamlets to confront the bandits with sophisticated weapons, not even the vigilantes or the security forces to confront them
Governor Mohammed also noted with delight that already the police are doing so much in controlling the situation stressing “It was the draws of the police that repelled the bandits”, however emphasizing the need for the displaced to go back to their places of abode.
“All that you need is assistance in terms of weaponry But the most important thing is to reassure you have run from your area, you have to go back to your ancestral places where you were living for over 1000 years”.
“Nobody will protect your territory more than you, more than yourselves. Your limitations and inadequacies in terms of arms will be provided by the police, the DSS and the military”, the governor said.
He said, “I am here to commiserate with our people from this part of Alkaleri Local Government Area where I came from. Day before yesterday I was in Duguri a village was overrun by bandits, but they stood their ground and forced them to runaway into the Plateau state
“In Bauchi we are working very hard to recruit about 2, 000 youths into the vigilante that would be trained as forest guards and so forth, and so forth. So definitely you should know that there is no manner from heaven, we have to work with the federal government, security agencies and our community leaders to protect ourselves”.
The Governor noted that in some communities even women used to come out boldly to protect their families, why not Jarawa or Dugurawa, Jukuns or ‘Kanuri people who inhabited this area of Alkaleri Local Government.
He thanks the Kashere communities for accommodating their brothers and sisters, and
commended the committee constituted by the Gombe state government to look into the welfare of the displaced persons, and donated the sum of N50 million to further their welfare.
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