By Suleiman Mustapha
Former Kaduna lawmaker, Sen Shehu Sani, Thursday, hailed the residents of Gobir in Sokoto for their boldness to confront bandits terrorizing their community.
The development follows the brutal killing of the Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa District, Alhaji Isa Muhammad Bawa, who was abducted and murdered by bandits on August 21, 2024.
Few days after the monarch’s gruesome death in the hands of the bandits, they allegedly struck again, kidnapping over 150 mourners in Gobir town.
A viral video shows thousands of residents of Gobir storming the community forest to confront the bandits.
In reaction to the video, Shehu Sani said it was high time the people took over the fight against banditry frontally without fear, saying that there was no better time for the people to act than now.
Sani had earlier mourned the killing of the Emir of Gobir and the incessant cases of kidnap by rampaging bandits in the northern regions, lamenting the failure of security agencies to tackle the insecurity in the area.
In a post on his Facebook page, Sani said, “The solution to the incessant and intractable problems of the cruelty and menace of banditry in the North West is a People’s Shahada action, which is a mass movement to fumigate and disinfect their lands, forests and farms against banditry and bandits.”
”The theory is aimed at permanently freeing the people from the criminality of kidnappings and killings so that they can take back their lives, their farms and schools, suggesting that the vigilantes and security agencies can all collaborate and cooperate on this to achieve results and pray that may Allah bring peace to the country.’’
The residents said they are determined to rescue the 150 abducted individuals, after losing faith in the ability of security forces to protect them.
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