From John Adams, Minna
Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufia, has expressed optimism that banditry across the country, especially in the North, will soon come to an end following the appointments of new service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The governor advised the new service chiefs to build on the foundation of their predecessors in the war against bandits, adding that Nigerians are looking up to them with great expectations.
He stated this, yesterday, in Minna in an interview with journalists after meeting with his Niger State counterpart.
Although, he said he was on a private visit to the state, nevertheless said: “The problem of banditry and insurgence has been around for a while. Niger State governor and I have, more than two and half years ago, presented what we felt were the solutions to banditry activities in our states.
“My advice to the new service chiefs is to look at what has been recommended and what has been done by their predecessors. So what the new service chiefs need to do is to build on the foundation built by their predecessors. There is great expectations from them by Nigerians.”
He expressed the hope that the new service chiefs would have come with renewed vigour in the war against insurgents and bandits, expressing the hope that “things would even get better.”
El-Rufia said security forces have been doing very well in combating the bandits, adding that “although some people have criticised the outgone service chiefs but those of us that worked closely with them know they performed very well.”
The governor expressed dismay over the activities of some locals acting as informants to bandits, adding that such people would be treated as criminals if caught.
Border communities between Niger and Kaduna states have been the epic-centre of bandits activities in the last six years with hundreds of lives lost and thousands of villagers displaced.
The latest attack is coming barely 24 hours before El-Rufai visit to the state where over 25 people were killed and several others injured in boundary communities between the two states.