Banditry: More persons to be displaced in Niger, says council chair

By Justina AsishanaMinnaThe chairman of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state, Comrade Suleiman Chukuba, has said that more people in Shiroro and other local government areas of Niger State will be displaced from their home if the federal government does not come to the aid of the state in combating the increasing spate of armed bandit attacks.He said the issue of armed bandits in Shiroro is now beyond the local and state government, appealing for quick intervention of the federal government.Speaking to newsmen in Kuta in Shiroro Local Government Area, Chukuba said the state and local government council have been combating banditry for the past seven years, without the trend abating.Armed banditry began in Shiroro Local Government and we have been battling these bandits in Shiroro for seven years now.It started in one ward, Allawa, before it expanded to other wards and now, it is gradually consuming 12 LGAs in Niger State.In our assessment, it is like the armed bandits are increasing and as they are increasing, more people will be displaced and the camps would be overwhelmed. It is not something that we are prepared for.This is why we are appealing to the federal government that the issue of armed bandits in Shiroro is beyond the local government and the state. The federal government needs to intervene because the bandits are in their numbers and they have sophisticated weapons, more than the military or security or vigilante.This is beyond the local government and state. The Federal government need to intervene to make sure that Niger State is at peace, he appealed.Chukuba said more than two million people are currently displaced in the council, saying that a lot of others have been killed while billions have been expended to ransom kidnapped people.
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