Minna – Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State said 12 local government areas in the state are currently being occupied by armed bandits.
There are 25 local governments in Niger State and the state has the largest land mass in the country .
The governor also said that over 4,000 people, mostly women and children have been displaced from their various communities by the activities of the bandits.
Bello who spoke while on a visit to the Gwada camp where the displaced persons are being temporarily accommodated described situation in the camp as worrisome.
“Four thousand IDPs are currently at Gwada camp. There is the need for normalcy to be restored in the affected communities.
“This is to enable them to return home to avoid the outbreak of epidemics in the camp,” he said.
Bello also raised concern over the influx of bandits and Boko Haram elements in and out of Shiroro Local Government.
“They have continued to detonate improvised explosive devices in Galadima-kogo, just as efforts were ongoing by the security agencies to restore normalcy,” he said.
According to him, the bandits are taking advantage of the size of the state and few security personnel on ground to perpetrate evil acts.
The governor, however, assured that security agencies had started to deploy new tactics and strategies to neutralise them.
The governor also visited Mararaban Dan-danu in Munya Local Government Area, where he interacted with local vigilante groups and hunters.
He promised to equip them with more sophisticated equipment to combat banditry.
Bello also disclosed that seven communities in the state have been submerged by flood in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state as a result of the ongoing construction of the Zungeru hydro electric power station.
“Some communities have been flooded and are under water and have left, while they have not not been paid compensation.
He, however, said that there was no cause for alarm as the Federal Government had made provisions for the affected communities to move to higher grounds.
Bello said that he would liaise with the Federal Ministry of Works to hasten the release of funds so that people in the affected communities could relocate to higher grounds and receive compensation.
Earlier, Malam Aliyu Umaru, the District Head of Gurumana in Shiroro Local Government Area, told the governor that about seven communities were currently being flooded by waters from construction of Zungeru Dam.
He listed the affected communities as Gurumana, Palei, Nmachi, Npani, Zangoro, Masuku and Magani.
Umar called on the government to come to their aid by paying compensation to enable the affected communities to relocate to safer places.
Aisha Abubakar, one of the victims of banditry, complained about lack of food, accommodation and health facilities as major problems affecting them at the Gwada IDPs camp.
Abubakar called on the government to deploy more security personnel to enable them to return to their communities. (vitalnews)
