DG, Northern Elders Forum, Professor Yima Sen

The Northern Elders Forum, on Sunday, picked holes in the actions taken by some state governments to check insecurity, describing them as “virtual economic and social lockdown on people who have been at the mercy of criminals for a long time.”

Such measures, according to the forum, include the suspension of weekly markets, restrictions on the sale of petrol, closure of schools and some roads, imposition of curfews, restriction in the movement of cattle and other animals, as well as plans to restrict communication.

The Director, Media and Publicity, NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made the observations in a statement titled, ‘Security of besieged communities’, warned that such restrictions would compound the desperate conditions of living of many communities in the North.

According to him, unless they are accompanied by an aggressive and effective assault on the banditry and kidnapping industry, they will merely add to the misery and hopelessness of the communities.

The statement read in part, “The Northern Elders Forum is closely following the condition of many northern communities that have become particularly vulnerable to attacks and abuse by bandits, kidnappers and related organised criminals.

“Measures being taken by some state governments such as suspension of weekly markets, restrictions on sale of petrol, closure of schools and some roads, curfews, movement of cattle and plans to restrict communication will compound the desperate conditions of living of many communities in the North.

“While it will be unhelpful to criticise these measures without adequate knowledge of their potential to relieve the desperation under which people live, it is important nevertheless to demand that those who have powers to impose them also have clear ideas over what they could achieve and when.

“These measures represent virtual economic and social lockdowns on people, who have been at the mercy of criminals for a long time. Unless they are accompanied by an aggressive and effective assault on the banditry and kidnapping industry, they will merely add to the misery and hopelessness of our communities

“Worse, they could further embolden the bandit and the kidnappers when it becomes clear that governments and security agencies cannot go beyond lockdowns on the communities.”

He added, “Communities themselves will lose even more faith in the capacity of the Nigerian state to respond to their desperate circumstances. The perception that communities are on their own must never be allowed to take deeper roots, but it will, when people see only the bandits and the kidnappers winning.

“The forum calls on the Federal Government to assist states to relieve communities that are now living under additional pressures. State governments imposing additional hardships on communities must know that the measures they are introducing must produce tangible results within a period that makes them meaningful and tolerable.”

Okay

Let NEF offer an alternative solution.

10mobile:
Let NEF offer an alternative solution.

That if da have de key to there solution