Zamfara killings: Blame Buhari, Yari – Media chief

With the killings in Zamfara becoming almost a daily affair, President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari of the state should be held responsible for their indifference to intervene and resolve the deadly killings once and for all.

A Media Consultant, Dahiru Hassan Kera, made the remark in a statement he issued in Kaduna on Monday in reaction to the latest killings which took place on Sunday evening in which about 40 villagers were reportedly massacred by an unknown gunmen.

Kera recalled that the wanton killings, raping and destruction of property and livestock started some years ago in the state, adding: “it was enough for both President Buhari and governor Yari to have individually and jointly come together and deal with the mayhem with a view to ending it once and for all.”

He said it is unthinkable that these killings would continue till this time without any proactive measures taken to stop it, adding that it shows that leaders in this country have lost their sense of constitutional responsibility to protect the lives and property of the citizenry.

Kera also expressed worry that at the rate the killings were going on, the number of casualties could surpass that of North-east with the attendant humanitarian crisis that could follow.

“We now have a very dangerous situation in our hands the population of internally displaced persons was increasing on daily basis without a corresponding care from government agencies,” he said.

Kera wonders how many orphans and widows are being made out of this worrisome situation; “these are defenseless people who rely on government for their protection, but reverse is the case, the government has failed to protect them and they are migration to other countries.”

“We hear that over N7 billion security votes has been spent over the crisis, yet the matter keeps escalating with no end in sight given the carelessness exhibited by both the Federal and Zamfara state Governments. I am afraid our politicians would be benefiting from this crisis that is why they allow the killings to go on.

“It’s sad that the same APC leaders, while they were in opposition, scolded former President Jonathan for not acting to curtail the crisis in the Northeast, are now equally guilty  of the same offence of brazen negligence and they don’t want to shoulder the responsibility, what a double standards.”