Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed of has threatened to deal with any local government chairmen or state government officials found to be conniving with bandits because of ambition or to perpetuate criminal activity.
He said the way and manner in which some bandits took positions in some parts of the state’s forestry indicated that they must have been given the right of way by some officials at the council level.
Bala said some of the local government areas in which there had been activities of bandits that go round kidnapping and killing people, especially in Toro, Dass, Alkaleri, Ningi, Tafawa Balewa and Ganjuwa.
He described the situation as worrisome, taking cognizance of the fact that the majority of the people live in rural areas, stressing that having insecurity at the grassroots means more problems to the powers that be.
The governor, in an emergency meeting with LG chairmen, commissioners of some key ministries and some heads of security agencies in Bauchi Monday, apportioned lapses on the part of council chairmen whom, he said, have control of local authorities.
In our forestry, bandits come and take positions after being provided the right of way by you because local authorities are under you”, he told the local government chairmen at the opening ceremony of their meeting.
I want to know who are those behind the destruction of our forest reserves, especially in Ningi, Toro LGAs. They must be fished out immediately. And those settlers who came to take over our forest reserves. Nigeria is for everybody, but you cannot just come and start felling our trees.”
