Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, has sounded the alarm over escalating insecurity in his constituency, saying residents are now more worried about survival than infrastructural development.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, Maidoki lamented that bandits have overrun several parts of Kebbi, leaving citizens in constant fear and displacement.
“Please save our lives, save our people. We are not bothered about roads or schools now; please save our lives. Our people’s lives are in danger,” the visibly frustrated senator said during plenary.
Maidoki, who described the situation as unbearable, accused the Nigerian military of giving the impression of being active in the area without making any meaningful impact.
“Today they (armed forces) will tell us they are here, tomorrow they are there; everybody knows within our area, but we will not see any action taking place,” he said.
“That is to say, sir, we need this Senate to tell the armed forces to be reporting progress every week, state by state. Otherwise, it will be a mess, and we will not be seeing progress.”
He urged the Senate leadership and security agencies not to allow the recent gains in counter-terrorism operations to be compromised, insisting that the lives of Kebbi residents must take precedence over all other development projects.
“We have seen progress; we should not allow this progress to be derailed. We should pursue these people so that our next election can be peaceful and sustainable. This is the only thing I want to take if I get protected in my environment,” he added.
In a plea that captured the desperation of his constituents, Maidoki reiterated: “Please keep your roads, keep your schools. We just want to be safe, that is the message we are sending to the Senate President.
“Please save our lives and our people. We are not bothered about roads now or schools. Please save our lives. Our people’s lives are in danger.”
Kebbi South, which borders Zamfara and Niger states, has suffered repeated attacks from armed groups in recent months, with reports of kidnappings, killings, and mass displacement of villagers.
For instance, in June, the Kebbi State government confirmed that a group of bandits attacked a mobile police post in Makuku, located in the Zuru Local Government Area, and made away with an undisclosed number of rifles.
The Director of Security at the Cabinet Office, Abdulrahman Zagga, disclosed this to journalists in the Bagudo Local Government Area.
According to Zagga, the post, which was manned by visiting officers, came under heavy attack from a large group of bandits numbering in the hundreds.
Despite engaging the attackers in a fierce gun battle, the officers were ultimately overpowered.
