Arms Herdsmen brutally controlling half of Nigeria - Shehu Sani

Lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Sani, has lamented the spate of killings by gunmen and herdsmen in parts of Kaduna State.

Lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Sani, has lamented the spate of killings by gunmen and herdsmen in parts of Kaduna State.

Sani, who raised a point of order at the plenary on ‎Tuesday on attacks on communities in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state, decried that hoodlums were taking over parts of the country.

He said criminals, including armed herdsmen, have taken over a part of Nigeria while the federal government has been left to control the remaining part.

According to him, local government area had been under siege of armed herdsmen and bandits in the last two to three years.

Sani said, “Part of this country is controlled by the government and a part is controlled by gunmen. For how long will this continue? Violence in all parts of the country. This systematic killing is becoming widespread everywhere. How can we say over 100 years after amalgamation and over five to six decades after independence, that in countries like Niger, Cameroon, and Benin Republic people there can live in safety?

“I am raising this issue to all the authorities that are concerned that there is a need to have a permanent military presence in this local government.

A few days ago, Senator (Kabiru) Marafa raised an issue about Zamfara State. You know that Zamfara State and Kaduna State are neighboring states. That place is virtually controlled by armed bandits and herdsmen and there is no presence of government there.

“It is time to put politics aside and focus on the issue of insecurity. People that are privileged to move to the (Presidential) Villa should please spare us the time of telling the truth to the people in power, that things are getting worse and there is the need for us to do what we need to do‎.”

‎He said, “I am deeply concerned that the government is losing the grip, that we cannot guarantee the safety of lives and properties in this country. And I think we have lost the essence of our being in government."

“Every day, this country is becoming a theatre of war, you see bodies of victims killed, dismembered, and shared on social media. There is nowhere in Africa today where you see these chilling and gory pictures and images being shared every day."

“I am deeply concerned that the essence to which to which we should be in government and address those very important issues have not been given the required attention as they should be.”

Sani further decried that the security issues were being ‎”cornered” in ethic, religious and sectional sentiments. “It has gotten to a level that we lose the essence of what we are supposed to do as people in the position of power,” he stated.