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From Gyang Bere, Jos
Chairman, House Committee on Navy and member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, said he lost 19 people who were his coordinators and 24 contact people during the bandits’ attack that claimed 127 people in rural communities of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
He said he had raised the alarm over the concentration of Boko Haram around the area when he was at the Plateau State House of Assembly and during plenary at the House of Representatives, but no action was taken.
Gagdi made the disclosure yesterday when the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council, led by the Chairman, Paul Jatau, paid him a condolence visit at his office in Jos, Plateau State.
The legislator noted that he was at Hajji praying for peace and unity of Nigeria when bandits invaded his constituency two weeks ago.
“I was not in the country when the incident happened. I was supposed to be in Saudi Arabia and come back at the end of this month, but I had to come back from the Hajji.
“I came back to pray where the people were being killed and to attend to those issues.
This is one of the worst political journeys in my life, because out of the 127 people killed, 19 were my coordinators when I was contesting for State House of Assembly, and 24 were my contact men at various polling units when I contested for House of Representatives in 2019.
“You could see how that attack affected me. I have said it everywhere that if these people were to be alive, I am sure everyone would call me by my name, and I am sure I can call over 50 of them by name because they are people that we have worked together with since 2018.”
He appreciated the governor of Plateau State for his swift response and intervention in addressing the plights of the survivors and the directive to beef up security in the communities.
Gagdi applauded journalists in the state for their support through objective and balanced reportage, which has calmed down nerves when such incidents occurred.
He pledged to continue to work and support journalists in the state by prioritising issues that would create a conducive working atmosphere for them to serve the state and Nigeria.
The legislator ordered his team of technicians to visit the NUJ Secretariat with surveyors to investigate where a motorised borehole would be sited at the secretariat.
Chairman of the NUJ, Plateau State Council, Paul Jatau, condoled the lawmaker over attack in his constituency, and assured him of the support of journalists in the state, exposing criminal activities in the state through their reports.
He applauded Gagdi for attracting Federal Government presence to his constituency through robust bills that have direct bearing on the lives of the citizens.
