Youth organisations in Zuru Emirate of Kebbi State have condemned the arrest and three-day detention of the interim Chairman of Zuru Emirate Development Society (ZEDS), retired Air Vice Marshal Sallau Bala Ribah and the leader of Yan Sakai (vigilante groups), John Mani at the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office in Abuja.
The two men, who they said are central to the search for peace in the banditry-infested Zuru Emirate, were reportedly invited to meet the Inspector General of Police soon after the September 19 town hall meeting in Zuru which explored ways out of the crisis caused by the activities of bandits as well as some excesses of the Yan Sakai vigilantes.
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The youth groups’ chairman, Kamba Peter, described the detentions as a setback to the gains recorded at the meeting.
Peter said it was in a bid to check security upheavals in Zuru Emirate caused by activities of bandits and the defensive measures of Yan Sakai that the federal government, through the Inspector General of Police and Kebbi State government convened an elders’ meeting at Zuru to find ways and means of bringing peace to the area.
He said prominent sons and daughters of the area led by the Emir of Zuru, retired Major General Sani Sami II, attended the meeting along with retired Major General Muhammadu Magoro, former Army Chief Lt. General Ishaya Bamaiyi, Senator Bala Ibn Na-Allah, Hon. Kabir Tukura, all local government chairmen, as well as chiefs of all the chiefdoms within Zuru.
AVM Riba, he said, presented at the meeting a set of guidelines to regulate the vigilante group’s activities, adding that the vigilante’s leader, Mani assured the government representatives that they would adhere to the rules and regulations and henceforth carry out their activities within the ambit of the law in collaboration with the security agencies.
Efforts to hear from force headquarters in Abuja on why the Zuru Emirate officials were invited were not successful. Force spokesman, Frank Mba could not be reached.
The groups said since February this year, numerous towns and villages in Zuru Emirate have suffered from bandits’ attacks including killings, rape, robbery, cattle rustling and kidnap.
Contacted, Rabiu Garba who is the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, told our reporter on phone that he could not respond to any allegation on the state government until he sees it in writing.
Spokesman of Kebbi State Police Command DSP Nafiu Abubakar said he could not establish contact with the DPO of Zuru Division but would get back to this reporter but did not up to the time of filling this story.
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