Sokoto State Government, on Wednesday, said there was no time it received any report of Nigerien forces ‘straying’ into the state under the guise of coming to salvage the people of Nigeria from armed bandits.
The senator representing Sokoto East, Ibrahim Gobir, was recently reported to have said that the situation of bandits attacks in his state had gone bad that the people now get help from Nigerian Soldiers.
But communities in Sabon Birni and Isa local government areas of Sokoto State have refuted the claim that soldiers from the Niger Republic have been the ones salvaging them from bandits’ attack, a statement signed by Muhammad Bello, the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to Governor Aminu Tambuwal disclosed.
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Bello said the community leaders dismissed the claim when Governor Tambuwal led a delegation of the security chiefs in the state to the area.
“Corroborating what they said, Gov. Tambuwal said that he personally confirmed the spuriousness of the claim after consulting a broad spectrum of stakeholders from the area and the security chiefs in the state,” he stated.
READ: Senator condemns bandits’ attack on Sokoto community
He said the governor stressed the need for leaders of Isa and Sabon Birni areas and also that of the entire state not to play politics with the matters of security, health and development.
This is just as it disclosed plans by the federal government to establish a new mobile police squadron in the area to nip in the bud activities of the bandits.
According to him: “A proactive partnership between the state government and that of the federal is in top gear as the latter plans the establishment of a mobile police squadron base in the beleaguered areas of Isa and Sabon Birni local government.”
The governor commiserated with the people of the area on the recent killings and kidnappings by bandits.