A member of the House of Representatives, Aminu Jaji, has described the deteriorating security situation in Zamfara State, alleging that insurgents have committed atrocities, including feeding babies in captivity to their dogs.
Jaji, representing the Kaura-Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency of Zamfara State under the All Progressives Congress (APC), made these remarks while addressing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday.
Narrating the experiences of his constituents, the lawmaker stated, “A pregnant woman was abducted. She gave birth to a set of twins in captivity. Then the leader of the bandits took the twins and threw them at his dog. The dogs ate them up, one after the other. This is something that we need to rise to the occasion. We need to speak to ourselves. Something needs to be done.”
Jaji also voiced his opposition to the engagement of mercenaries in the fight against insecurity and the declaration of a state of emergency in Zamfara. He expressed his belief that Nigeria’s military forces possess the capability to secure the nation if adequately equipped and motivated.
“I don’t believe that in Nigeria, we need mercenaries to prosecute the war against terrorists,” Jaji said. “Our gallant soldiers have the capacity to secure the country. But the only thing that we need to do as a country is to step up a little bit and be more digitalised in the way we operate.”
He advocated for the integration of technology in the fight against insecurity and emphasized the importance of providing adequate resources and welfare for security agents.
The lawmaker stated that he does not support the use of mercenaries, stressing the need to adequately arm security agents provided by the Federal Government.
He added, “Honestly, I don’t subscribe to the idea of hiring mercenaries. We must make sure the resources given to our security agents by the Federal Government are satisfactory. But let’s ensure the monitoring and the efficacy of how they discharge their duty, and then, how they can continue to be supported in terms of their welfare. If they are being motivated in terms of their welfare and so many other things, they can step up to fight these people.
“In my constituency alone, over 200 people have been kidnapped by bandits. Two weeks ago, 60 people were abducted in Banga. 10 of them were later killed because the community could not raise the N30m ransom demanded by the abductors. As we were grieving, another 25 were taken from Gabake. Just yesterday, fresh attacks occurred in Kungurki.”
He noted that insurgents have effectively taken control of a significant portion of his constituency, carrying out killings and inflicting harm on innocent civilians while establishing themselves as the ruling authority.
Jaji called for a fundamental restructuring of the country’s security framework and expressed concern that President Bola Tinubu might not be receiving accurate information regarding the worsening conditions in the North-West region.
