From John Adams, Minna
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in Niger state, Alhaji Mohammed Umar Bago has promised to tackle the current security challenges threatening the peaceful coexistence of the people through increase collaboration with security agencies and traditional institutions.
The gubernatorial candidate was speaking on Wednesday during a Youth Summit organized for him and his running mate at the Idirs Legbo Kutugi International Conference Center, Minna, the state capital.
The Governorship Candidate assurance came just as Gunmen, In broad day light on wednesday stormed Kaffinkoro town in the Paikoro local government area of the state and sacked the entire community.
A local source close to the community told our correspondent that not less than two corpses were seen on the ground while 20 other people were said to have been hit by bullets.
The gunmen stormed the town in about 15 motorcycles, with each motorcycle carrying three Gunmen and all carrying AK47 rifles.
According to our source, on arrival in the town the gunmen, in their usual way, started shooting sporadically thereby causing confusion and panic among the people.
“The town is almost deserted as I speak with you now because people have gone into hiding in the bush” one of the villagers who escaped to Minna told our correspondent.
He disclosed that there is no single security agent on ground as at the time of the gunmen invasion, saying that “the Police station is vacated, we don’t know the whereabout of the policemen”.
More so, he said the Gunmen were carrying more sophisticated weapons than the police and were more in number than the policemen at the KafinKoro division.
Contacted the Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umar confirmed the story, but added that security Agents have already been deplored to the town, adding that “We are on top of the situation”.
But Bago while assuring that the security challenges will be tackled if given the mandate in 2023, pointed out that, “The security issues are too strategic, but we are working as a government with security agencies and we will increase more collaboration with traditional institution and security agencies to curb the menace of insecurity across the state”.
Speaking further, he stated that “We will engage ourselves in mechanized agriculture, we will feed ourselves and export food to other parts of this country and abroad.
“We have strategic plans and blueprint on how to revamp the economy, it will not be business as usual, we have to wake up and work for ourselves not to be spoon-fed. We are going to work round the clock so that we can revise this trend,” he said.