A retired Islamic school teacher in Zamfara State, Alhaji Mujeed Danbaba has lamented that the rate of merciless killings, kidnappings, rape and other criminal activities has gone beyond control, forcing people to live in perpetual fears.
Danbaba said that even with the coordinated security networks and public outcries, the bandits had continued to unleash terror attacks on communities unabated.
Speaking to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital, the Islamic teacher said that within a few days, bandits have attacked communities in Bakura, Maradun and Tsafe Local Government Areas of the State, killing and maiming innocent citizens.
He wondered how the bandits were getting their arms and ammunition that are more sophisticated than those of the military and security agencies.
“Thousands of locals have lost their lives, many kidnapped and several abducted victims released after payments of ransom that involved millions of Naira, while many have been displaced, turning uncountable women to widows and thousands of children to orphans,” he lamented.
According to him, the bandits have proved to be more superior than the government, lamenting that how they get their resources to purchase those sophisticated weapons remained very surprising and questionable.
“There is no doubt that the government is generating huge amounts of resources especially from crude oil, yet it cannot purchase sophisticated weapons like the bandits do.
“There is no doubt that the government generates more resources than the bandits but because of lack of political will, the terrorists are having the upper hand.
“It is not clear whether the bandits are operating on their own or they are being sponsored by some highly placed Individuals who are seriously benefiting from the inhuman activities; it is left for the security agencies to find out,” he added.
Danbaba lamented that the situation was becoming worse on a daily basis, pointing out that no place even in the State capital was free from merciless killings, maiming of innocent lives and rampant kidnapping.