Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna
State has urged the Federal Government to declare bandits as terrorists so as
to allow the Nigerian military deal with them without any major consequences in
international law.
The governor spoke at the
presentation of the Kaduna State Security Incidents Report for the Third
Quarter of 2021 in Kaduna on Wednesday, saying “we in the Kaduna State
Government, have always aligned with the declaration of bandits as insurgents
and terrorists.
“We have written letters to the
Federal Government since 2017, asking for this declaration because it is
the declaration that will allow the
Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major
consequences in international law.”
“So, we support the resolution by the National Assembly and we are going to follow up with a letter of support, for the Federal Government to declare these bandits and insurgents as terrorists so that they will be fair game for our military. This is the view of the Kaduna State Government,” he said.
The Governor also called for a
consensus between the Federal Government and the 36 states on an emergency
programme of recruitment into the security agencies.
He said the government can change
the game significantly by hiring 1,000 willing youths from each of the 774 LGAs
in the country into the security agencies.
“This will be a surge in numbers
that is unprecedented since the civil war. An influx of 774,000 new boots on
the ground will be a significant blow against criminals and an employment
boost,” he said
He announced that next Saturday,
the two Local Governments of Birnin Gwari and Zangon Kataf where elections were
postponed for security reasons, will be having their own Local Government
elections.
He however warned that if
elections do not take place as scheduled on that date, they will have no option
other than to appoint Administrators to manage these Local Governments for the
next three years.
He said “our Ministry of Internal Security and
Home Affairs has just presented its report on security incidents in Kaduna
State within the third quarter of 2021.
“It is a sobering report,
reflecting the real agony of our citizens and communities, their pains and
losses, and the fears and anxiety that have created considerable distress.
“The report puts the statistics
in context, analyses the pattern of violence and outlines what the Kaduna State
Government and the security agencies are doing to contain the situation and
relieve the situation in our communities.”
“These figures indicate the
continuing severity of the security situation. In our view, this compels an
obligation to transparency on the part of the managers of security.
“It acknowledges the pain of our
people, reflects precise figures on the nature and pattern of security
incidents and provides the public factual information on this unprecedented
challenge.”
“Previous annual and quarterly
security reports have placed the Kaduna Central Senatorial District as the most
impacted by these incidents. That was the consistent pattern in the Security
Incidents Reports for 2020, the first quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of
2021.”
“However, the report for the
third quarter of 2021 indicates that the Kaduna South Senatorial District had
the highest casualties in the period.
“This reflects the toxic mix of
banditry and the continuing violent clashes between communities in
Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Kauru LGAs.
“The locus of these violent incidents is
Zangon-Kataf LGA where the peace process, championed so impressively since last
year by His Highness the Agwatyap, is being imperilled by sundry acts of
lawlessness.
“I call on all the communities in
Zangon Kataf LGA to recommit to peace, to work together to promote harmony,
uphold the rule of law and unite to against the criminals that threaten all of
them.”
“While receiving the
second-quarter report in July 2021, I had noted that “it is a matter of
profound regret for me that our considerable investments in security are yet to
manifest in the defeat or at least the considerable degradation of the
criminals that menace our people.
“We have consistently supported
the federal security agencies deployed to our state with logistics and
equipment.
“Apart from these recurrent
expenses, the Kaduna State Government has undertaken capital expenditure to
provide facilities that can multiply the capacity of security agencies to deter
crime and conduct effective investigations of those that do occur.
“We created the Ministry of
Internal Security and Home Affairs to provide a specialised institution to
coordinate these investments and our liaison with the federal security
agencies”.
He expressed with delight that
since he made those comments, the military and other security agencies have
commenced operations against the bandits.
“These operations, which began in
the third quarter, are degrading bandits but they are not yet simultaneous
across all the affected states in the North-West region.
“This reflects the limitations
that personnel and other resource deficits have imposed on the federal security
agencies.
“There are simply not enough
boots on the ground to have credible deployments in most places to protect
communities, deter crime and enforce law and order,” he said.
He said many state governments in
the North-West and the North-Central have adopted an unconventional approach to
help the federal security agencies to better protect our communities, adding
that there is no alternative to launching simultaneous operations.
“I will also like to announce
that this Saturday, the two Local Governments of Birnin Gwari and Zangon Kataf
will be having their own Local Government elections.
“They were postponed for security
reasons, but I believe that the security agencies and the State Independent
Electoral Commission have agreed that it is possible to hold this election this
weekend.
“Our hope is that we will be able
to conduct this election as well as bye-elections in two or three Local
Governments, so that we swear in the new Local Government Chairmen, to start
their tenure from the 1st of November 2021.”
“I would like to observe that if
elections do not take place as scheduled on this date, we will have no option
than to appoint Administrators to manage these Local Governments for the next
three years.
“So it is in the interest of everybody to
allow elections to take place, otherwise I will appoint people to manage those
local governments.”
“I will also want to comment on
those that are affected by insecurity. We have a Riot Damage and Compensation
Fund for those who are affected from 2016. I am therefore directing the
Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs to draw from the Riot Damage
Fund, to pay all those affected, up to, and including this year.”
“I would also like to inform the security
agencies as well as the traditional leaders here, that we are in the process of
establishing a Farmers/Herdsmen Reconciliation Council at the State level as
well as similar Committees at the Local Government and Chiefdom and Emirate
levels.
“This is backed by a law, a
military edict, enacted in the 1990s. But somehow, we didn’t come across the
law until recently. So, we are activating these Committees to help in managing
clashes between farmers and herdsmen at all levels.”
“Let me conclude by expressing
our deepest gratitude once again to our traditional leaders.
“You are playing a very important
role not only in the provision of useful intelligence in your communities but
also in engaging in reconciliation.
“You are also engaged in
peace-building in collaboration with our state Peace Commission. We urge you to
continue and I particularly urge the Agwatyap not to be discouraged by what is
happening, to continue to work towards peace.
“In the end, there is no
alternative to peacebuilding. As leaders, we cannot but continue to preach
peace.”
“I want to express our gratitude to our security
agencies for the sacrifice that they are making.
“I urge them not to be
discouraged by comments by those who are uninformed, who think that nothing is
being done.
“My colleagues, the politicians,
are the most guilty; just because they want people to clap for them, they will
say that nothing is being done. If nothing is being done, you will not be able
to sleep.
“Many of these incidences are
being prevented and when they are, you will not hear about it.
“You don’t hear commendation but
when something happens, you hear all the condemnation.
“As someone who receives the security
reports on a daily basis, I know that a lot is being done by the security
agencies.
“I wish to commend you and may
God bless you. We are happy with the results of the military campaigns, and it
is clear that kidnapping has gone down, but we want more than that. We want to
have zero kidnappings, zero killings,” he said.
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