Following the killing of 63 volunteer vigilante members in Kebbi State by bandits on Sunday night, President Muhammadu Buhari has called on security forces to be more proactive in preventing attacks.
Banditry has disrupted the lives of thousands of people in the northwestern states of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kebbi and north-central Niger.
Thousands of people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Cattle and other domestic animals are stolen daily by bandits who also prevent farmers and traders from accessing their farms and local markets.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how bandits ambushed volunteer vigilantes in the Sakaba local government area of Kebbi state, killing at least 63 of them.
The guards were from five communities of Takita, Magajiya, Rafin Zuru, Dabai and Sanci.
It’s sad – Buhari
In a statement signed by a presidential press aide, Garba Shehu, Buhari described the killing as a “brutal murder.”
The statement quoted the president as saying, “This egregious level of criminality is shocking and I want to assure Nigerians that I will do whatever it takes to confront this monster decisively.”
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“My greatest concern is the threat to life posed by these murderous gangs and ruthless outlaws who have no respect for the sanctity of life.
“As I extend my condolences to the families of the victims of this savagery, let me take this opportunity to also call on our security forces to be more proactive and redouble their efforts to thwart terrorists’ operational plans even before they launch attacks. ”, added the President.