Kebbi Dep. Gov. urges vigilante to focus on border surveillance
By Haladu Ahmed
In his continued effort to ensuring local vigilante group (Yansakai) operates within the legal frame work, Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Samaila Yombe Dabai was at the palace of Chief of Dabai Chiefdom on Thursday.
Dabai, who also holds a traditional tittle of Turakin Dabai, addressed the gathering on the security catastrophe that emanated from Zamfara State to border communities of Zuru Emirate. He described it as strange and disaster.
The Deputy Governor further described people of Zuru as peace loving, non tribalistic, accommodative with high sense of tolerance without specification for decades.
He said reports had indicated that most of those terrorising the communities are foreign mercenaries, revealing that none of the community member, not even the suspected Fulanis in the area are responsible for the criminal activities, but hired mercenaries.
He expressed shock on how innocent farmers are being killed, kidnapped, raped among other forms of atrocities from border communities and restate that no proper human being living with fellow will perpetrate such a crime.
Dabai equally reiterated his earlier position on the need for vigilante group (Yansakai) to focus on attacks coming from neighbouring states in collaboration with regular security outfits as well as identify and fish out infiltrated bad elements whose actions are giving bad image to Zuru land.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of District Heads Forum, the District Head of Ushe Alh Muhammadu Yawa Ushe, commended the courageous moves of the Deputy Governor and assured of all the necessary support.
While speaking on behalf of District Heads under Dabai chiefdom, the District Head of Dabai, Alh Abubakar Usman Danga acknowledged the effort of the Deputy Governor and stated how the traditional institutions have been up and doing to control and coordinate the activities of the vigilante.
Similarly, the Secretary of the vigilante in Dabai Chiefdom, Mr Anthony Daniel acknowledged the fact that some bad elements are hiding under the good work of the legitimate vigilante group which had been giving bad signal to the world on the activities of genuine vigilante groups but have noted improvements considering the measures took in identifying and punishment of offenders amongst themselves.
Mr Anthony thanked the government of Kebbi State for putting efforts in ensuring sanity in the activities of the vigilante.
Speaking, the Chief of Dabai Chiefdom, Alh Suleiman Mika’ilu Sami extolled the Deputy Governor for his unrelenting efforts to see that things are put in place. He narrated the measures carried out by the Chiefdom which comprises receiving monthly security reports from all areas and assured of timely support and cooperation to ensuring cooperation.
The Chief of Dabai Chiefdom equally thanked the government of kebbi State under the leadership of Sen Atiku Bagudu for timely support to the victims through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Alhaji Sulaiman Mika’ilu Sami used the medium on behalf of his displaced subjects by armed bandits, appealed to Kebbi State government on the need to allocate farmlands to ease their tension and suffering.
District Heads of Dabai, Rikoto, Rafin Zuru, Manga, Ushe, Senchi, Alh Kabiru Muhammad Dabai (Magayakin Zuru), council members to Dabai chiefdom as well as Hon Ibrahim Attahiru Tadurga among the Deputy Governor’s entourage were in attendance.
Others are the Area Commander, Nigeria Police Force, Zuru Area Command, the Divisional Police Officer Zuru, the OC DSS Zuru Zone, leaders and members of Vigilante group (Yansakai) among others.