Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has lamented the increasing spate of kidnapping and killings in the country, particularly in the North, while calling for deployment of troops to affected states to go after the bandits.
The Northern socio-cultural group, who urged the Federal Government to re-examine its security apparatus, increase the number of police personnel and provide equipment and other logistic to effectively tackle the menace, want security action even on the highways to not only repel attacks, but to go after the perpetrators and bring them to book.
According to a statement issued by the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, ACF, they want the security agencies to employ new strategies and intelligence gathering to effectively smoke-out the kidnappers and bandits from their enclaves and hideouts.
“Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and indeed Nigerians are worried and disturbed with reports of spate of kidnappings of innocent people on the highways and frequent attacks on villages by some armed bandits which has led to the death of hundreds of innocent lives particularly in the Northern part of the country.
”The recent frequent kidnappings and attacks on the people, especially along Kaduna/Abuja highway and many villages in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kaduna states as well as many parts of the country is cruel, barbaric and inhuman. ACF, therefore, condemn these unwarranted and unbridled kidnappings and killings of people by some unknown gunmen.
”This is a serious challenge to government, our military and other security agencies as the spate of attacks is getting vicious and unacceptable.
”The establishment of Military Joint Task Force and other security operational command bases in Zamfara, Sokoto and other flash point states to combat the bandits activities in the region need to redouble their efforts in order to put an end to this daily loss of innocent lives and destruction of property.
”The Police Force should deploy more troops to the affected states and highways to not only repel attacks but go after the perpetrators and bring them to book.
”ACF appeals to the Federal Government to seriously reexamine its security apparatus and take adequate measures that will increase the number of police personnel, train them and provide equipment and other logistic support to effectively tackle this menace. ACF equally urges the communities to cooperate with the security agencies by way of intelligence gathering and sharing.
”ACF extends its condolences to the families of the innocent souls killed in the dastardly acts of the kidnappers and bandits, the people and governments of the affected states,” ACF said.
