Scores of women and youths from Zamfara, on Tuesday, protested at the Department of Security Services (DSS) in Abuja against bandits’ activities in the state.
The demonstrators, who arrived in about 12 buses at about 10.30 am, were restricted by the operatives from getting close to the premises of the secret police.
Daily Trust reports that the protest came one month after the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency to allow the fight against banditry to succeed.
Armed with several placards with different inscriptions such as “We are dying” and “DSS, save us from bandits”, among others, the protesters urged the new director-general of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi to help them out in the state.
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The aggrieved persons also blamed their immediate past governor, Bello Matawalle, for the heightened activities of criminals.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, the leader of the demonstrators, Mallam Musa Mahmud, urged the secret police to probe Matawalle, the current Minister of State for Defence.
He said, “The issues here are not just political problems. They are matters of life and death, economic survival and the fundamental human rights of the citizens of Zamfara State that should not be handled lightly.
“We want the DSS to conduct a thorough investigation to save millions of Nigerians and safeguard the integrity of the president and the intelligence community.
“The agency is in the best position to advise President Bello Tinubu to relieve Bello Matawalle from his position to face an investigative panel and clarify his connections with dangerous individuals like Bello Turji and Musa Kamarawa.
“Zamfara citizens have the right to live free from the constant threat of banditry and violence. These issues should be at the forefront of any reasonable Nigerian who means well for the country.”
Efforts made to get a reaction from Matawalle proved abortive as one of his aides Ahmad Dan-wudil, who was contacted promised to get back to our correspondent last night.
He was yet to do as promised at the time of filing this report at about 9:35 pm last night.
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