By Deji Elumoye
A member of the National Assembly, Senator Istifanus Gyang, has sent a Save our Soul (SOS) message to police and security agencies over recent armed bandits invasion of Plateau North senatorial district leading to the killing of 10 people.
Gyang, said in Abuja yesterday that bandits this week invaded three villages in Plateau North senatorial district and killed 10 people “and this informed why I have to call on the police and other security agencies to assist in securing my senatorial district against attack of any form.”
He described as sad and disturbing that while all nations including Nigeria are battling to overcome the plague of Coronavirus, killer bandits were busy attacking helpless communities in his Plateau North Senatorial District.
The Senator noted that for two days running specifically on Tuesday and Wednesday 31 March and 1 April, killer bandits attacked and killed 10 persons at Hukke and Kyle Borough villages of Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to him, “It is unfortunate that while the entire
humanity is grappling with this scourge of Coronavirus and steps are being taken globally to eradicate the scourge, bandits invaded my constituency and hit three villages. The hoodlums came in the night and set part of the villages ablaze and killed 10 persons.
“This is very disturbing, sad, unfortunate, and condemnable because at a time the entire nation is in a sober mood seeking the face of God in prayers, to see how God can deliver us from the scourge of Coronavirus, we have a set of people that have no fear of God and have no value for life. They are further destroying the lives of people that we are seeking the face of God to preserve in this painful season. The unfortunate incidents happened in my constituency on the 31st of March and also April 1.”
Senator Gyang, who is Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, therefore called on the security agencies in Plateau state to be up and doing and ensure the safety of rural dwellers in the state.
His words: “I’m taking this step to bring it to the attention of the nation and particularly the people of Plateau State that it is a painful moment, a painful development. One that no sane person will in any way support. That is why I join my constituents, I join my people of goodwill to call on the security agencies, particularly the Operation Safe Haven in Plateau State and the police to please rise up and take up their primary responsibility which is that of saving lives and property, particularly those of the rural dwellers in Plateau State.
“Emphasis on security should not be limited to urban areas because the lives of the rural dwellers also matter. That is why I’m calling on security agencies to step up the fight against insurgency and banditry in Plateau and other states that are being affected by the scourge of banditry.”
The Senator recalled that he had earlier in the week reached out to the state police commissioner on the matter but nothing much was done to address the issue.
“I called the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command immediately after the attacks and I engaged him with a view to knowing what he was doing about it and he told me that he had made some deployment to the area. Unfortunately, the military has just done some changes. So I couldn’t reach the Commander of the Operation Safe Haven, that has been redeployed.
“Unfortunately, this morning again, I got a report from the affected communities that the same bandits again returned there last night and succeeded in burning some houses again. This is despite the fact that the CP had deployed police personnel there”, Gyang further lamented.