Bandits kill 15 in northwest Nigeria
Thursday November 18 2021
Bandits killed 15 people in Gornyo and Illela Local Government Areas in Sokoto State in northwest Nigeria in renewed attacks. FILE PHOTO | COURTESY
Abuja,
Bandits have killed 15 people in Gornyo and Illela Local Government Areas in Sokoto State in northwest Nigeria in renewed attacks.
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the killings as “needless and mindless violence against innocent people which cannot go unpunished.”
The Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambulwa confirmed the Monday killings, saying that 12 people were killed in Illela while the other three were killed in Goronyo Local Government Areas.
The attacks came barely a month after bandits invaded Goronyo township and killed 43 people.
President Buhari, who is attending an investment summit in South Africa, said Tuesday that the “persistent and unprovoked violence against unarmed civilians must be met with fierce response by the government.”
He also added that his “administration will not abandon Nigerians to their fate in the face of this existential challenge caused by banditry.”
The government resorted to delivering military equipment to the areas affected by insecurity to improve the capacity of its security forces to effectively deal with the issue.
“Our military is also deploying advanced technology to enhance surveillance and related operations to locate and crush these criminals and enemies of our common humanity,’’ President Buhari said.
He also noted with concern the fact that criminals have for a long time deprived the people of northwest Nigeria of their livelihoods, internally displacing them and turning them into beggars.
“The bandits are living in a fool's paradise if they believe that they can't be crushed. The criminals cannot be always lucky; they will ultimately meet their waterloo. Evil cannot triumph over good no matter how long it takes,” President Buhari added.