A member of the House of Representatives, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, has grieved the attack on the Federal Government Girls College in Birnin-Yauri, Kebbi State and the subsequent abduction of some teachers and students by suspected bandits on Thursday.
Sununu, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Services, represents Ngaski/Shanga/Yauri Federal Constituency in Kebbi State.
The lawmaker, who expressed sadness over the incident, raised alarm over the worsening state of insecurity in his constituency.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the matter.
Addressing reporters on the heels of the attack on the school on Thursday, he lamented that children no longer go to school and farmers no longer go to the farm due to the heightened state of insecurity in the area.
He said, “A week ago we had another calamity when bandits mentioned by eyewitnesses numbering about 250 to 300, each with AK-47 rifles and using very strong motorcycles, came into my constituency. They had a field day and operated for more than eight hours. Going house to house, room to room, collecting money, handsets, motorcycles and cattle. That led to a massive influx of internally displaced persons into the headquarters of the Emirate in the town of Yauri.”
He said the bandits after operating successfully had left and threatened to come back, which they did by attacking the school on Thursday.
“However we were able to convince people and they started going back to their respective areas. But they (bandits) left a message that they would be coming back. Taking it seriously, some people refused to go back and in the early hours of today, they repeated what they had done earlier and they came into the constituency, sometime around 10.30 or thereabout.
“They were able to have access after strong fights with some security guards, police that are guarding the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri and they made inroad into the school. They succeeded in kidnapping some teachers and an unaccounted number of students. Some of the students and security men are currently receiving care at the General Hospital, Yauri following gun injuries.
“This is cause for concern and as a representative of the people I have to come here and make a call on the Federal Government to look at Yauri’s position with its neighbouring Niger State. It has direct access to Zamfara State and west of Yauri is the back of River Niger. Our fear is that their major target is to enter Yauri. Now we are calling on the Federal Government to provide adequate security.
“We have to make it clear that Kebbi State and indeed the Yauri hold a unique position in the food security of this country. Over 90 percent of the land of Yauri is for rice farming. But as at today I want to assure that no farmer can comfortably go back to his farm and farm and come back to sleep with his eyes closed. We are right now facing an influx of a number of people into Yauri with a higher rate of internally displaced persons. Accommodation, feeding and other logistics that are necessary are being affected.
“The worst part of it is that a nation can only develop when it is sound educationally. The so-called Boko Haram we are hearing is almost becoming a reality because parents cannot feel free to send their wards to school for fear of being kidnapped. As it is now, a lot of primary schools in the Emirate in Yauri town are being occupied by IDPs.
“This has a tendency to deter the progress so far achieved by the Kebbi State government in terms of agriculture and in terms of promoting access to education. The healthcare is also being stretched because of the influx of people. The only general hospital we have is being occupied by IDPs. So we are in a state of disarray and definitely we have to call on the Federal Government so something can be done immediately to safeguard the lives and property of our people.”
