El-Rufai, Tambuwal solicit for joint action against banditry, kidnapping

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal have emphasised the need for states to collaborate in addressing the threat of banditry and abduction.

The two governors arrived at a conclusion in Sokoto when El-Rufai paid a visit to commiserate with Tambuwal over the demise of Hajiya Aishatu, the daughter of late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello.

This is contained in a statement endorsed by Malam Muhammad Bello, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Tambuwal, and released to journalists on Tuesday in Sokoto.

El-Rufai lauded unwavering dedication of Tambuwal to the quest for peace and security in all states, particularly in the North-West.

He declared that governors of the seven states in the North-West have been working intimately with President Muhammad Buhari to end banditry and abduction in the zone.

In accordance with El-Rufai, the role of Governor Tambuwal role in confronting the threat of banditry in the area has been thorough, cordial and impartial.

He said, “I want to express my appreciation to Governor Tambuwal for cooperating with us in a totally, brotherly and non-partisan manner to bring the whole of the North-West together. May Allah reward you with His blessings.”

El-Rufai showed concern over the rising cases of abduction and banditry in the zone and its impact on the citizens.

He said, “There is concern on the sufferings that people face, as they have been going through difficulties because of these attacks occasioned by bandits.

“From Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and parts of Kebbi and Niger states, our people have been going through trials and tribulations arising from the activities of bandits.

“As governors, we have been meeting, putting our heads together to do the best we can. The last meeting we had was last Thursday with the President.

”We expressed our concerns and came up with a critical road map to end this banditry in our region once and for all.”

Meanwhile, Tambuwal stated that the security problems in the zone have become unsettling and “a great source of concern to all of us.”

He added the most recent was the horrific murder of a Divisional Police Officer and eight policemen in Kebbi on Monday and the latest attack in Dange Local Government of Sokoto State, where a lot of people died.

Tambuwal stated, “We must all put our hands on deck to ensure that we nip this thing in the bud.

“As you rightly said, we have been working together and collaborating. There’s no issue of party.

“Our security and development have nothing to do with party. It is all about the people that we represent.

“I have always said there should not be politics in developing and dealing with security issues.

“We must remain one to confront the bad elements among us. They came together to fight us, so we must come together to fight them.”