Labaran Maku
Former Minister of Information, Mr , has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to place Nasarawa under special security surveillance to curb the spate of attacks in the State.
Maku made the appeal when he spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
Maku dismissed the recent claim by Gov. Tanko Almakura that peace had returned to the state, adding that the attacks on many rural communities were continuing.
“I am very worried about this denial of the insecurity in Nasarawa state. It is important for the Federal Government to send a fact finding team to verify these claims.
“This crisis has become endemic, it seems not to be ending and we have for long lived in denial of this reality.
“My appeal is that government must continue to act on the issue of insecurity. Nasarawa should come under special security surveillance because this trend is disrupting development in the state,’’ Maku said.
Citing examples of attacks in rural and suburban communities and even in communities sharing border with Benue, Maku called on government to admit the reality on ground.
According to him, it will be better for the governor to admit that the problems still persist and seek the support needed to bring about peace.
He said the situation, if not arrested, could affect economic and other activities, stressing that most agrarian communities had been deserted as a result of the crisis.
“In south Doma, around Ruwan baka community down to Amaku, there have been reported cases of attacks on the roads and even in the farms.
“In Migili communities in Jenkwe Development Area, the people are also reported to have fled their farms and homes and as I speak to you, farming activities are not going on in those communities.
“Similar cases have been reported in Agyaragu Tofa, Agwada ward, Akuruba Udenge and many other communities in the state.
“I don’t know how we are going to feed, people are not going to their farms, there are no farming activities in the state, so how will the food be produced,’’ he asked.
He said the state government had abandoned rural communities to gunmen operating without challenge.
He warned that the situation could degenerate into a major crisis if the spate of attacks and “anti-people policies of the state government were not addressed.’’
He expressed confidence in President Buhari’s ability to intervene in the challenge of insecurity facing rural communities in the state.
NAN
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