A major transport hub is being threatened again by bandits that will disrupt North-West/South West to Abuja and rest part of the North and to the South-East/South-South free movement.
His Excellency,
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, C-in-C of
The Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
Mr. President,
I send compliments to Your Excellency and thank you very much for the timely and prompt intervention on the distress call we made to you in December 2020 on the need to take swift action to dislodge the bandits that took over the large chunk of land from Kontagora through Beri to Kamfanin-Bobi to the East and from Kontagora through Masuga to Dogon-Fadama in the North, making that uninhabited space a sanctuary from which they were launching assaults on all nearby towns and villages including Kontagora.
AlhamdulilLah, with the cooperation of the local citizens, the Special Forces sent were able to successfully force them out of that place and subsequently the rear team of Mr. Adams of the NPF, the NSCDC, the Brigade continued to ensure that these bandits never return to this area again.
However, Mr. President there is this “Hot Spot” between Tegina-Katako-Yakila-Zungeru that for the last 30-years we have known to habit these bandits, infact specifically the valley to the East of Katako-Yakila axis remained a hive for these bandits that launching a “Special Operation” all over these valleys and hills behind may reveal a lot more on why they’ve been in this place for this period of time.
I am sure Mr. President is aware that the Village Head of Yakila abducted since Last year is nowhere to be found, no more phone calls from the abductors on his release or otherwise even after some sizeable amounts were deposited with them.
Just yesterday by the Zungeru Bridge 150 bandits in number on 50 motorcycles at 3 persons on each ambushed a public transport Bus belonging to the Niger State Transport Authority and abducted about 21 poor passengers from a village. Up till this hour, no reports on their whereabouts yet.
If commuters can be intercepted at such a strategic location, overseen by a Military post just across, on the major artery that connects the North-West, South-West to the North then clearly very soon that corridor will become impassable if a complete reconnaissance is not carried to establish their nucleus and manage it promptly. Perhaps their ultimate target may be the newly completed Zungeru Dam. We must put every measure necessary in place to forestall such from happening.
I call on Mr. President to please assign every Military structure in every state the responsibility to handle the challenges in their various states directly while the Commander-In-Chief oversees the various operations through the chain of the various commands. Perhaps that may make management of the Operations easier from the “Situation Room”!
I thank Mr. President.
Engr. M. Bello.
February 15, 2021.
