The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed said he is having sleepless nights as his people are being maimed, killed and kidnapped by marauding bandits lording over some local councils in the state.
Reiterating his adminidtarton’s zero toletance for crime, the governor vowed to trace the terrorists and teir sponsors irrespective of their status.
Governor Bala stated this yesterday when he visited residents of Duguri community in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the State to commiserate with families of some kidnapped victims.
Duguri community, the hometown of Governor Bala was recently attacked by gunmen who abducted three persons and killed one.
The governor also warned traditional institutions against hosting unknown people and also those feeding the criminals with information and other provisions, stating, “As the security agencies would always say, this cannot happen without collaboration with some obnoxious elements within us, including some members of our traditional institution.
He explained that the state government has already requested the two traditional district heads to be circumspect to look inward to handle information sharing with the bandits,
“There is no way somebody from Zamfara or somewhere will visit that secluded place like Shaffa and kill someone unless he has an informant,” said the governor. “The security agencies cannot do it alone. And that is why we are establishing a system of feedback. And I heard that some people within us are even feeding the bandits in their secret place by giving them grains and flour, that is the report I received.”
READ: Kogi Gov Strips Traditional Ruler Over Killing Of Security Operatives By Bandits
He continued: “We are going to go after such people no matter how highly placed, they are to make our people safe and secure. You must give us feedback through the district head, through the village head or through anybody you know. I am having sleepless nights that I am a Governor and my people are being killed”.
In his remark, Umar Mamman Sanda, the Commissioner of Police, urged community members to cooperate with security agencies by exposing bad elements within the community as the police are already aware of such culprits in the community.
He, however, acknowledged that the police are aware that there are compromised officers among the security agents, adding that the command under his watch is doing everything possible to fish them out and accordingly punish anyone found wanting.
Babaji Usman Babaji is an investigative journalist with over four years of experience, renowned for his impactful reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and holding those in power accountable in Nigeria.
His career is distinguished by participation in numerous media training programs and conferences, which have honed his investigative and reporting skills. Babaji’s data-driven stories have made a significant impact, particularly in Northern Nigeria, shedding light on critical issues and driving meaningful change.
As a reporter under WikkiTimes’ Collaborative Media (CMEDIA) Project, Babaji has led several groundbreaking investigations. He was a 2022 fellow of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2024 Media Foundation for West Africa DPI/DPG fellow. His contributions to accountability journalism earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Xchange Hama Media for impactful community work.
