‘Kaduna suffered from banditry in the forest, Govt House’ – Shehu Sani
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has refuted the claim by Governor Nasir el-Rufai that banditry in the state was a recent issue. Sani, in a statement on Friday, said el-Rufai’s comments were an attempt to rewrite history and exonerate himself from the insecurity challenges that plagued Kaduna during his tenure. He stated that banditry in Kaduna had existed long before el-Rufai became governor and had been a major concern for residents of the state. “The people of Kaduna have been victims of banditry for many years. The bandits have been operating in the forest areas of the state, terrorizing communities and kidnapping people for ransom,” Sani said. “It is not true to claim that banditry only started in Kaduna recently. The problem has been there for a long time and el-Rufai is fully aware of it,” he added. Sani also accused el-Rufai of failing to address the security challenges facing Kaduna effectively. He said the governor had often downplayed the issue and blamed it on external factors. “El-Rufai has consistently refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the banditry problem in Kaduna. He has always dismissed it as a minor issue and blamed it on other states,” Sani said. “He has also failed to take effective measures to tackle the problem. The security agencies in the state are ill-equipped and underfunded, and they have been unable to effectively combat the bandits,” he added. Sani called on el-Rufai to focus on addressing the security challenges facing Kaduna rather than engaging in blame game. He said the people of the state deserved to live in peace and security. “The people of Kaduna have suffered enough from banditry. They deserve to live in peace and security. El-Rufai should stop playing politics with their lives and start taking concrete steps to address the problem,” Sani said.
El-Rufai: ‘Kaduna suffered from banditry in the forest, Govt House’ – Shehu Sani
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has reacted to claims by Governor Nasir El-Rufai that the state government was fighting banditry in the forest, not in the Government House. El-Rufai had made the statement on Friday while speaking on a Channels Television programme. However, Sani, in a tweet on Saturday, said the governor’s statement was a “semantic game”. He tweeted: “El-Rufai says Kaduna suffered from banditry in the forest, not in the Government House. “This is a semantic game. Banditry is banditry, whether in the forest or in the Government House.” Sani’s statement comes amidst the ongoing security challenges in Kaduna State, which has seen several attacks by bandits in recent months. The state government has been criticized for its handling of the security situation, with many accusing El-Rufai of not doing enough to protect the lives and property of the people. However, the governor has defended his administration’s record, saying that they have taken several steps to address the security challenges, including investing in security infrastructure and personnel.