Kidnapping, Banditry, Islamic Women Clerics Charge Buhari on State of Emergency

 

Worried by the alarming rate of kidnapping and banditry in Katsina State and other states in the country, Islamic women preachers under the auspice of Katsina State Da'awa Women Wing, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in view of what they described as persistent abduction and killings of Nigerians across the country.

The women gave the advice during an interactive session organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (MWASD) on Sunday to proffer solutions on how to end kidnapping, banditry and insurgency in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Borno States.

Speaking on behalf of the women, the Chairperson of Da'awa Family Support Committee, Hajiya Hajara Isah, explained that the state of emergency on insecurity was necessary in order to avert frequent killings and abduction of innocent citizens in the affected states.

According to Isah, "Following the persistent killings and abduction of innocent Nigerians across the country, we are calling on President Buhari to act fast and mandate the military to end the ungodly act.

“The military can't tackle this problem alone because it is beyond them. These people are visible, we know them. There is need for the federal government to look for them and address their needs so that they can stop what they are doing.

"This appeal for peace remains imperative because without the atmosphere of peace, no meaningful negotiations and development can take place. We know that the Kastina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, is trying to solve this problem but there is need for him to redouble his effort to ensure that the state is free from banditry and other crimes in the state."

She stated that insecurity in the country and particularly in the Northeast and North-west regions should not be seen as a normal phenomenon, adding that pragmatic military and political approaches are necessary to stem the tide.

Addressing the women, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Badiyya Hassan Mashi, assured them that immediate measures were being taken by the state government to ensure that the loopholes which led to the fatalities are blocked in the state, adding that the ministry will partner other organisations to complement the state government effort.

Mashi said Masari-led administration remains committed and focused on the security of lives and property of the citizenry, stating that "the meeting is geared toward having a way out as to the problem of kidnapping and banditry in Katsina and other states of the federation."

According to the commissioner, "The ministry has been directed by the state governor to convey the meeting in conjunction with the state Da'awa Women Wing and other sister organisations dealing with religious affairs for us to have a way out to the current problem facing us in the state."

It was reported that at the end of the one-day security interactive session, a communique of the meeting is expected to be delivered to the governor to ascertain a way forward for the situation in the state.