Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal has urged the federal government of Nigeria to consider the option of creating a ‘Special Force’ to tackle banditry.
Tambuwal spoke on Wednesday when he received a delegation of the North-west Governors’ Forum led by Aminu Masari, governor of Katsina.
The delegation visited the governor to commiserate with the state over the security challenges including the recent attack on a bus that led to the killing of 23 travellers.
Governor Tambuwal said the Special Forces should comprise locals of the affected communities because they have rich knowledge of the areas.
“Thinking out of the box, we may also consider, (and I highly recommended Mr President) that we recruit immediately from communities affected by banditry for the sole purpose of addressing these challenges, train the people from those communities, arm them give them licenses, give them better weapons to face these criminals.
“This is within the law; it is thinking outside of the box. If you are finding it difficult to recruit people into the Arm Forces. Have special forces for all these areas and states affected with banditry? Recruit them purposely for this. They have knowledge of the train and the commitment to defend themselves. So, give them the backing of the law.
“So, I am appealing to Mr President to consider the possibility of taking this up and I am confident it will work out well,” the governor said.
In his address, Katsina State Governor Masari expressed his condolences to Sokoto State on the recent attacks by bandits.
He added that measures are being put in place to address the situation.
“Bandits behave worse than animals in view of the atrocities they perpetrate; people need to protect themselves,” he said.
He said the bandits terrorising Nigerians are not aliens but human beings as such Nigerians should rise in defense of themselves against the marauding bandits.
Twenty-three persons were confirmed dead last week, after an attack on travellers in Angwan Bawa, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Sokoto State Police Commissioner, Kamaludeen Okunola described the incident as unfortunate.
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