Banditry: Senator Accuses Niger Govt of Insensitivity to Plight of Victims

 

Senator David Umaru has accused the Niger State Government of being insensitive to the plight of victims of banditry in some parts of Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

The senator, who represented Niger East senatorial zone until last week when the Supreme Court ordered his removal, said the state government has left the villagers and victims to their fate.

In a statement made available to journalists in Minna, the state capital, on Tuesday, Umaru said the state government has also been economical with the truth on the statistics of people killed and wounded by the bandits.

According to him, "It is rather unfortunate that the state government, instead of owning up on its ineptitude and insensitivity to the plight of my people for more than two years now, rather have chosen the path of malicious attempt to malign my name.

"The choice of this path by the state government is further proof that the lives of my people do not matter to it," Umaru declared.

He further said: "The life of a single person should matter and its loss regrettable as well as calls for serious concern. It is more painful when such life is lost in a preventable circumstance."

The senator said rather than try to hide the carnage caused by the bandits, the state government should be proactive and find lasting solution to the crisis that the communities had faced in the last two years.

He denied the accusation by the state government that he was trying to make the outside world feel that Niger State is unsafe.

According to the lawmaker, "The world already knows that some parts of Niger State are unsafe, particularly areas in Shiroro, Rafi and Munya LGAs, and that the state government has not shown any seriousness in addressing the problem."

Umaru insisted that the figure of those killed by the bandits was higher than the number claimed by the state government.

"I still reecho it that not less than 69 people were killed by the bandits, several injured and cattle rustled. Out of this number, 55 bodies have been found whilst the search for the remaining bodies continues," he said.

Controversy had surrounded the actual figure of those killed in the bandits’ attacks in the Shiroro LGA area last week.

While the senator claimed 70 lives were lost, the state government initially said 12 people died before the state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, confirmed that 37 dead while the state Emergency Management Agency said it picked up 40 dead bodies.