Ahmed Aliyu, the governor of Sokoto State, called an emergency security meeting on Monday in response to the assaults on Saturday that left 37 people dead in the state’s northern region.
Three settlements in Tangaza local government and two others in Gwadabawa were assaulted by bandits on Saturday. These people were shot dead and numerous more were injured in the settlements of Raka, Raka Dutse, and Filin Gawa.
In response to the incident, Aliyu, who had to cut short his official visit to Abuja, threatened to make the state dangerous for bandits and other criminal groups.
Abubakar Bawa, the governor’s press secretary, told reporters immediately after the meeting that one of the topics covered was how to coordinate the state’s security systems.
According to the governor-
“So that there would be a strong synergy between the conventional security operatives and the vigilantes in the fight against banditry”.
The Governor also criticised informants’ actions, saying they must be stopped in their tracks.
In order to put a stop to banditry in the state, he also pledged to pay the security forces conducting “Operation Hadarin Daji” the five months’ worth of wages they were due.
Governor Aliyu also gave them the assurance that his administration would deal with any additional difficulties the agents could encounter.
However, he expressed sympathy to the families of those killed in the assaults and prayed to Allah to provide them with the best position in Jannat as a recompense.
cc: Punch Ng
