Sokoto State Isa local government chairman, Sharifu Kamarawa, has revealed how bandits control a vast area of the local government while appointing traditional rulers and settling disputes among communities.
The local government chairman narrated this to the Minister of State for Defence, who was on a visit to the area on Thursday to assess troops’ performance.
The chairman narrated: “Bandits have taken over parts of my local government area and act as traditional rulers, and judges. Sir, they have become authority of their own. They even mediate and settle disputes in communities.
“It’s very painful, sir, that we have no control or authority over our people in that axis, including my village Kamarawa.
“Bello Turji, Dan Bokolo, Garso and many bandits kingpin are moving freely and exercising their powers over our people without challenge.
“Honorable Minister, sir, part of my council area has become a haven for bandits and other criminal gangs. Please, come to our aid. We are in dire need of your support to free our people.
“Our communities are in shackles. They need to be free; to have a sense of belonging that they are Nigerians.
“They tax, and collect levy from, the communities at will.”
AFRIPOST gathered that Gebe, Kamarawa Arume, Bafarawa, and several more villages along the Niger Republic border are among the Sokoto territories under the hands of bandits.
He added “Sir, as you have observed on your way to Isa, only one village named Gundumi is still standing. All villages have been deserted along the 120-kilometre road due to the activities of Bandits.
“Sir, provide troops to liberate our people from the shackles of banditry, which has eaten deep into the life and economy of our people who are peasant farmers.
“Thousands of hectares of farmlands cannot be assessed by our people. There will be a food crisis in my council area unless urgent measures are put in place by the government.”