Niger state government has accused Senator David Umaru of attempting to incite the public over his comment on the recent bandits’ attacks in part of the state.
Umaru, in an interview with journalists, had put the casualty figure from the attacks in Shiroro local government area of the state at 70.
However, in a statement issued by the Alhaji Aliyu Isah Ekan, Permanent Secretar y(Cabinet and Security), on Sunday in Minna, the state government said the figure quoted by the Senator was grossly exaggerated, while describing his action as inciting.
“We make bold to state that the figure is not only grossly exaggerated but the report in the media, credited to former Senator David Umar is spurious and an unfortunate attempt to make Niger State look unsafe in the eyes of the world.
“The former Senator’s claim is, to say the least, fictitious and also a mischievous attempt to generate ill-will between the people of the affected area and the state government.
“Government is aware of David Umaru’s efforts to regrettably instigate people from his locality and to make them erroneously believe that the government isn’t concerned about their plight.
“This government, without any fear of contradiction, has been protectively and proactively doing well in securing the lives and property of its citizens, an action that has made the state one of the relatively most peaceful in the country.
“It is pertinent to put the record straight in respect to the banditry attack on suburb communities of Allawa town. First, the death toll before the swift intervention of the military joint taskforce was 12 with 22 wounded and not 70 as purportedly claimed by Senator David Umaru.
“It is lamentable that the former Senator would stoop too low to persistently want to put this administration to disrepute by peddling falsehood to the unsuspecting and undiscerning public.
“The said attacks were not even targeted at the villages but the cattle. It was the sporadic gunshots in the air that generated anxiety amongst the unsuspecting villagers and as they flee in fear, some of them were shot by the bandits,” the statement said.
