Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto, says the military is responsible for making the state’s vulnerability to the activities of bandits flushed out from Zamfara state.
According to him, the security situation in Sokoto is caused by the influx of bandits displaced by clearance exercises carried out by Operation Hadarin Daji in Zamfara.
The governor said this while receiving a delegation sent to the state on Friday.
Following the killing of 23 travellers in a bus on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari had dispatched a delegation comprising heads of security agencies to the state.
The delegation includes Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, Yusuf Bichi, director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Usman Alkali Baba, inspector-general of police, and Samuel Adebayo, chief of defense intelligence,
The governor alleged that the exercises led to attacks and kidnappings in broad daylight in some parts of the state.
“Operation Hadarin Daji, the precursor of the escalation of tension and crisis in Sokoto state was carried out without any blocking force around the neighbouring states, particularly Sokoto state.
“Also, the timing of the operation, whereby, unfortunately, our security agents do not have enough equipment to move and curtail and contain those that would pander towards Sokoto state didn’t help the timing as well. So, the timing and the way the operation was carried out left Sokoto very vulnerable.
“It does appear as if those bandits pursued from Zamfara state have relocated to Sokoto state. This is a very serious call for concern.
“There is a need for more boots on the ground. I am familiar with the situation at the center, but I believe that something can be done, and, that should be done urgently and expeditiously because our situation is getting out of hand,” he said.
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