Save our souls before it is too late, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro LGs write FG

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3 years ago

President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to as a matter of urgency intervene in the security challenges facing the people of Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa local government areas of Bauchi State.

The SOS message was sent to the President by concerned stakeholders from the area who are worried by the spate of increasing state of insecurity and breakdown of law and order in recent months.

The stakeholders made the call in an open letter to the President copies of which were issued to newsmen in Bauchi on Monday under the umbrella of the Conference of Community Development Associations and Religious Leaders Forum, Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa local government areas, Bauchi state.

The concerned citizens while describing the call on the President to intervene with a view to salvaging the tense situation, stated that it became necessary for them to sound the early warning to avoid total collapse.

The letter reads in part, “Your Excellency, this is an early warning distress call in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government areas of Bauchi State on apparently ill-motivated youth-driven weird violence, a threat to peace, lives, property, and security, as well as disregard for the rule of law and established authority.”

While stating that the security and welfare of the people is one of the primary responsibilities of the government, the concerned citizens raised an alarm that their peace as a people is been threatened.

The letter further read, “As concerned residents in the region, we are alarmed by the development. Granted the recent disturbing state of insecurity which the Federal and Bauchi State governments are both concerned about, we the leaders of our people across ethnic and religious divides have their mandate to communicate our concern, and we believe an immediate and appropriate actions will be taken by the government to prevent the situation from worsening.”

According to the stakeholders, “Recently, there have been successions of heinous incidents that have made us quite alarmed. Our people are fleeing in fear of terror at a time when communities are celebrating the completion of State and Federal Government projects.”

They further stated that “The increased rate of banditry, kidnapping, and outright terror is penetrating our territories, threatening peace and security. It should be mentioned that Bauchi is one of the safest and most peaceful states in the north, and we don’t want anything or anyone to halt our growth both as a people and a community.”

“We are also concerned about violent incidents and cult-like group activities that pose a threat to peace and security. Some ill-motivated teenagers and bandits, as well as kidnapping and attacks by unknown gunmen, have been reported”, they stressed.

The letter further contained, “We have had series of scenes that have threatened our Peace as a people from the April 18th, 2020 attack in Tafawa Balewa, to an attack in July of Mama Rifkatu who was killed in her Farm and Mrs Mary Alhamdu who was killed on her way back from the Farm Within the Borders of Tafawa Balewa LGA, to another herder attack in Bar Village of Bogoro.”

Also contained in the letter is that, “three people died and a large number were injured in Num community of Tafawa Balewa LGA On 9th May, 2022. Similarly, at Tudun Sayawa Village there was an attack on 16th May, 2022, and a clergyman was attacked in his pastorium.”

According to the stakeholders, “The recent disruption of a community event in Bogoro aimed at commemorating the death and honouring a community legend on December 30th and 31st, 2021, as well as the brazen destruction of properties and killing of some carefully targeted people in Tafawa Balewa, Bar, Bogoro, and Mwari villages, are the most horrifying of the serial cases of violence”.

The stakeholders lamented that “The reluctance of the Cult-Like gang to allow the late Baba Peter Gonto’s family to bury their slain brother, Mr Aralla Peter Gonto, is clear evidence that the Violent and Cult-Like organizations in Mwari are motivated, contrived, and directed by their cohorts.”

“This is one of the most notable flashpoints for violence in recent memory, which is not surprising. There have been sporadic attacks by unknown gunmen and kidnappings of prominent elders, heightening fear and apprehension that had already been created by the violent action of a youth group with a history of notoriety for violence, mounting of unlawful roadblocks, and preventing prominent Nigerians from attending occasions they’ve been officially invited to as guest”, the stakeholders claimed in the letter.

“We recognise that no community can thrive without peace, which is why we are requesting assistance from the proper authorities in maintaining peace and order. Accordingly, we wish to plead with Mr President to direct URGENT ACTION on our request,” they concluded.

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