No Media to Report Serious Security Concerns in Northern Nigeria — Sultan of Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, has lamented the worsening security challenges in Northern Nigeria, saying the media in the country do not give adequate reports of the way bandits have overrun the region in their activities.
He expressed this feelings in Abuja on Thursday at the fourth quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).
He said: “Security situation in Northern Nigeria has assumed a worrisome situation. It is regrettable that no strong media platform could report this story to the world.
“A few weeks ago, over 76 persons were killed in a community in Sokoto in a day. I was there alongside the governor to commiserate with the affected community.
“Unfortunately, you didn’t hear these stories in the media because it’s in the north. We have accepted the fact that the north doesn’t have strong media to report the atrocities of these bandits.
“People think north is safe, but that assumption is not true. In fact, it’s the worst place to be in this country. Because bandits go around in the villages, households, and markets with their AK-47. They stop at the market, buy things, pay and collect change, with their weapons openly displayed. These are facts I know because I am at the centre of it.
“I am not only a traditional ruler, but I am also a religious leader. So, I am in a better place to tell the story. I can speak for the north in this regard because I am fully aware of the security challenges there. We have to sincerely and seriously find solutions to the problem, otherwise, we will find ourselves soon, in a situation where we would lose sleep because of insecurity.
The Sultan said the North is the worst place to be in this country, because bandits go around in the villages, households, and markets with their AK-47 openly and unchecked.
“As religious leaders, we must promote peace, love, unity, and tolerance among our followers. We will discuss all these issues at the close door session of the meeting and possibly come out with strong suggestions for government,” the Sultan said.
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