President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday expressed deep shock and sadness over the latest communities that have led to the death of scores of villagers in three communities.
The attacks which occurred on Saturday affected three communities in Rabah local government area of Sokoto, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
The President who condemned the attacks, assured that his “administration will not relent in the fight to neutralize terrorists, bandits and kidnappers around the country “
The Statement noted that President Buhari has already been briefed by the Police authorities on the incident and the arrests made so far.
The President while condoling Governor Aminu Tambuwal and the people of Sokoto state over the incidence, also condemned the acts of terror being perpetrated against innocent citizens across the country.
He also vowed to ensure that the perpetrators of the “ dastardly acts would be held accountable under the law”
The President’s response is coming against several such attacks being perpetrated daily across the country by kidnappers and armed bandits.
The latest attack is also coming on the heels of last weekend meeting between the President and Governors of the 36 states of the Federation where the Governors lamented the unprecedented plights of Nigerians in the hands of terrorists.
The attacks have led security experts to suggest a more robust and responsive security arrangement at the states level that will eventually lead to the establishment of State Police as a panacea to the inabilities of the Nigeria Police force to adequately deal with the issue.
The Governors said they “kept the President abreast about the situation, and made suggestions as to what we could do to assist the President on the issue.
But speaking with State House Correspondents at the end of the Security meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi disclosed that while some States have taken position to have State Police, others are of the opinion that the security situation are not enough to warrant such arrangements
“ The position of the NGF on that is that we have not taken any position because experiences vary. There are some states where experiences does not necessarily lend itself to a more devolved Policing arrangements to the State. But there also States where there are agitations for this and their own Governors too have the view that, that will work better in their own States”
The issues bothers on the abilities of some states to fund States and Local government Police, even as others are of the opinion that many states lack the capacities to set up State Police, just as others believe that it may lead to more crises at the lower levels of governance because of the tendency to abuse the process
According to Fayemi, “ These are the issues that will come to play, when we get to the NEC meeting that will be called “
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
