Shehu Sani: Help! North under siege

Senator Shehu Sani (PRP-Kaduna Central), on Tuesday, urged  federal and state governments to take more proactive measures to address  the overwhelming security challenges facing the Northern part of the country.
Sani spoke while receiving groups  from Birnin Gwari,  Chikun Local Government Areas and representatives of Zamfara  indigenes resident in Kaduna.
The groups  presented a letter of complaint on the insecurity challenges facing them in their various communities for onward submission to the National Assembly.
Sani said the entire Northern region was currently under siege and being faced with various security challenges.
“Today the entire Northern Nigeria is under siege. In the North West it is the armed bandits, the North Central is experiencing Herdsmen attacks and the  North East is ravaged by insurgents.
“In Kajuru, it is Muslims and Christians against one another, in Birnin Gwari it is banditry and kidnapping and  along Kaduna Abuja Highway, it is kidnapping and raping.
“I have been visiting you regularly and this time you are in my residence. I have listened to your lamentation, tears, cries and appeals.
” I believe any conscious Nigerian is aware of what you are facing in Birnin Gwari.
“I must say the issue of Birnin Gwari reflects the fears and dangers we are facing in North West today.
“Kidnapping is what we used to hear of in  Niger Delta. Today Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Niger and Zamfara States are under siege,” Sani lamented.
Sani, however,  blamed the challenges  of the region on the lukewarm attitude of the Northern political leaders.
 According to the senator, one of the problems of northern leaders is sycophancy which is now making the region  bleed with overwhelming killings.
He urged residents of the affected areas to rise to face the situation by challenging  those in the position of authority to do the needful and tackle the situation.
“The most ideal thing is to face the situation and question those that we have elected into positions of authority,” he said.
 Leader of  the Coalition of Birnin Gwari Associations Nasir Khalid, in the protest  letter, said several communities had been  under attack of bandits since  the eve of the general elections to date.
He said no fewer than  40 drivers had been killed in the last three months, while  several communities in Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina were ransacked.
Khalid lamented that the various governments had continued to pay lip service towards addressing  the situation.
He appealed to the senator to deliver the letter to the Senate in particular for immediate intervention.