A governor on Tuesday cried out on the spate of insecurity in his state.
According to him, unless the situation is reversed, kidnapping and banditry will not end in the North.
He explained that kidnappers hide those they abduct from other parts of the North in his state.
A hundred and thirty-seven kidnapped pupils of Kuriga school in Kaduna State were rescued from the state at the weekend.
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal took his case to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while on a visit to the Presidential Villa yesterday.
Zamfara is one of the nine states in the Northwest geo-political zone.
Lawal told reporters after meeting with the President that despite his efforts, nothing can be achieved unless there is federal action because governors do not have control over the military and the police.
He said: “There have been several attacks in some of the local government communities. I feel as a responsible governor, I should make this known to Mr. President, who is pleased with the discussion we had.
“We are looking for more military personnel as well as the equipment for them to be able to function effectively and take care of the security situation.
“Zamfara has become the centre of banditry, and if nothing is done, I don’t think we will be able to solve the situation in the entire North.”
The governor also said: “Most of the guys or the girls kidnapped were kept in Zamfara. That is not good for us.
“We’re doing everything to change the narrative and that is one of the reasons I came to see the president.
“I have his assurance that something drastic will be done to take care of the situation as soon as possible.
“As you are fully aware, governors don’t have control over the military and the police. It is the responsibility of the Federal Government.
“Therefore, at any point, we need to inform Mr President so that we can get his blessing either to direct them or to do something else that will help them take care of that situation.”
On the efforts his government is making, Lawal, elected on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said: “Last month, we launched the Community Protection Guard (CPG). They are well-trained. They work either with the military or the police. It’s a collaborative effort.”
Many of the notorious kidnappers such as Bello Turji operate in the state.
The bandits are believed to control territories in the state, which allows them to keep their victims for as many days as they want away from the prying eyes of security men.
Many parts of the state are not accessible because of the fear of being kidnapped.
Terrorism: More than 100,000 repatriated to Nigeria in the last 6 to 7
No fewer than 100,000 Nigerians who were refugees in neighbouring countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon have so far been repatriated within the last seven years, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, said.
These Nigerians fled their homes in the state to escape the attacks of Boko Haram and other terrorists at the height of the insurgency.
Zulum stated this at Aso Villa after a meeting with the President.
He said he needs to get accurate information from relevant agencies to be certain of the number of people still waiting to be repatriated.
Zulum, who said he was at the State House to discuss issues affecting his state with President Tinubu, said the President had approved the immediate take-off of the Federal College of Education, Gwoza.
Besides the approval for the take-off of the federal polytechnic, he said he discussed the moribund state of two irrigation projects in the state: the South Chad Irrigation Project and the Yauri Irrigation Scheme.
Zulum said he suggested the establishment of a strong security outfit around the South Chad Basin area.
On the return of citizens, he said: “The issue of repatriation of Nigerians that are living in the Republic of Chad, Niger and Cameroon, we started in the last administration, but because of the election period and rainy season, we stopped the process.
“Again, Mr. President has given me his commitment that we will resume the repatriation process.
“So far, not less than 100,000 people were repatriated.
“This is the official figure, the unofficial figures might be more than this.
“But I want to inform you that we still have remnants of people living in Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
“I need to discuss with the National Commission for Refugees as well as NEMA and other organisations before coming out with a figure.
“But the most important thing is that we have started the repatriation. And this administration is committed to ensuring that all our refugees living in neighbouring countries are repatriated before the end of this administration, inshallah.”
On why he visited Tinubu, Zulum said: “I saw Mr. President on some issues relating to my state. One of the issues is that of the take-off of the Federal College of Education, Gwoza.
“You will recall that the previous administration had established some federal institutions, but unfortunately, not all of them have taken off. The federal government decided to stagger the take-off of these institutions.
“However, I wrote to Mr. President on the need for the take-off of the Federal College of Education, Gwoza, a few months ago. I’m pleased to notify you that the President has approved the immediate take-off.
“Secondly, we spoke about the Lake Chad Basin. Now that we are having relative peace in Borno State, there’s a need for the government to ensure the re-establishment of the South Chad Irrigation Project.
“South Chad Irrigation Project has tremendous potential to produce food to cater for the needs of the entire northern Nigeria or I can say even the entire country.
“But as a result of insecurity in the region, the irrigation scheme was not functioning for the last decade or more than a decade.”
Military clears, frees 230 detainees for having no ties with Boko
Also yesterday, the military released 230 suspected Boko Haram terrorists after profiling them.
The suspects were made up of 219 males and 11 females.
They were released from military custody after it was established that they were not terrorists but were conscripted against their will.
A military source said the 230 suspects were handed over to the Borno government yesterday through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for reintegration.
For more than a decade, the military and other security agencies have been fighting Boko Haram terrorists.
The activities of the terrorists have caused the death of thousands, mostly civilians, including women and children.
It has also caused a serious humanitarian crisis in Northeast Nigeria.
