Bauchi Communities Stakeholders Petition President Buhari over Insecurity

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Concerned Stakeholders of Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the security challenges bedeviling the people of the area.

The stakeholders of the two local government areas in an open letter they sent to the President Buhari, expressed worry over the spate of attacks in the areas, a development they said was causing fear and tension.

The copies of the letter to the President, was issued to newsmen in Bauchi under the umbrella of the Conference of Community Development Associations and Religious Leaders Forum, Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas, Bauchi State.

The concerned citizens appealed to Buhari to intervene in the situation saying that it has become necessary for them to sound the early warning to avoid total collapse.

The letter reads: “As concerned residents in the region, we are alarmed by the development. Granted the recent disturbing state of insecurity which the federal and state governments are both concerned about, we the leaders of our people across ethnic and religious divides have their mandate to communicate our concern, and we believe immediate and appropriate actions will be taken by the government to prevent the situation from worsening.

“Recently, there have been successions of heinous incidents that have made us quite alarmed. Our people are fleeing in fear of terror at a time when communities are celebrating the completion of state and federal governments’ projects.

“The increased rate of banditry, kidnapping, and outright terror is penetrating our territories, threatening peace and security. It should be mentioned that Bauchi is one of the safest and most peaceful states in the north, and we don’t want anything or anyone to halt our growth both as a people and a community.

“We are also concerned about violent incidents and cult-like group activities that pose a threat to peace and security. Some ill-motivated teenagers and bandits, as well as kidnapping and attacks by unknown gunmen, have been reported.

“We have had series of scenes that have threatened our peace as a people from the April 18, 2020, attack in Tafawa Balewa to an attack in July of Mama Rifkatu who was killed in her farm and Mrs. Mary Alhamdu, who was killed on her way back from the farm within the borders of Tafawa Balewa Local Government, to another herder attack in Bar Village of Bogoro.

“Three people died and a large number were injured in Num community of Tafawa Balewa LGA May 9, 2022. Similarly, at Tudun Sayawa village there was an attack on May 16, 2022, and a clergyman was attacked in his pastorium.”