Insecurity: Niger gov convenes emergency security meeting over camps

From John Adams, Minna

Niger Governor, Abubakar Bello, on Saturday, convened an emergency security meeting following an attack on military camp in Zagzaga community, Munya Local Government Area by bandits.

One soldier and a civilian were killed during the attack which occurred last Wednesday while a military vehicle was burnt and another one taken away by the bandits who invaded the military camp at about 4am.

The attack is the second in one month after a similar one on Security Joint TaskForce camp in Allawa and Bassa in Shiroro Local Government Area, which led to the death of five soldiers and a mobile policeman.

Though details of the security meeting, which has in attendance, heads of security agencies in the state, community leaders and other critical stakeholders, was not known, it was gathered the meeting was to come up with new strategies to deal with the growing banditry activities across the state.

The meeting was presided over by the governor, who cut short his engagements in Abuja over the rising security challenges in the state.

Meanwhile, senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, has described the activities of gunmen across the country as an abomination to human existence, saying Nigerians were going through their worst hardship in history due to attacks on towns, communities and villages across the country by “these enemies of the people.”

Musa, whose entire constituency has been under siege in the last six years, however, urged the people to remain calm and use the Ramadan period to pray to Allah to see them through the moment of hardship.

“There is no consolation that will be better than having peace and our people return to their homes,” he said.

In a statement in Minna, the senator said: “Towns and villages have been under attack, with hundreds of lives lost, property destroyed and animals rustled by some infidel bandits and Boko Haram terrorists that have continued to terrorise our communities.

“I’m therefore appealing for understanding as government is strategising on how to neutralise the bandits and terrorists by following them to their hideouts,” he said.