Senator Sani Musa (APC – Niger East) has condemned the killings of 20 vigilante members and a soldier in Kontokoro town of Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
Naija News reports that the vigilantes were killed in an ambush last Thursday during a routine patrol while the soldier was killed during an attack on the military post in the town by the bandits.
Confirming the incident in the area, the commandant of the vigilantes in the local government, Abu Hashimu, said the late vigilantes were returning from a search operation, when they were ambushed.
According to him, 16 of his men were killed on the spot during the attack, while four others were shot dead while trying to escape from the bandits.
He said, “the slain vigilantes were returning from search operation when they were ambushed. 16 of them were killed on the spot while the bandits pursued 4 others who tried to escape and gun them down also”.
“The bodies of the slain vigilantes have been recovered and a joint security operation comprising of military and vigilantes has gone in search of the bandits.”
In a condolence message to the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, at the weekend, the lawmaker described the killings as “callous, inhuman and wicked.”
He described those behind the massacre of these innocent people as enemies of the society who must be arrested and brought to book.
Senator Musa, however, called on all peace loving people of the state and the country to raise their voices against this dastardly act.
“The action of the bandits has gone to show that the war against these lawless people is far from abating, in fact these bandits are now spreading their dangerous activities to other parts of the state that hitherto have been relatively peaceful.
“All hands should, therefore, be placed on the deck to check once and for all the shedding of innocent blood in this state and other parts of the country,” Musa said.
He urged the federal government to improve the security architecture in the state in order to make life worth living for the people, saying that the people have not been able to carry out their legitimate duties.
“The solution to this ugly incident is the establishment of military bases in parts of the state so that the security operatives will be in position to take prompt action against these bandits and other criminal elements in the state.
“The time to act is now if we want our local communities to farm since the farming season is fast approaching,” he asserted.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of all those that lost their lives and advised the state government to take immediate step to ameliorate the sufferings their families might be going through.