We’re unaware of the situation —Police

By Abel Daniel

IT sounds ironical and unbelievable, but it’s true! This is the scenario that has played out in Aghema in Ekye of Doma Local Government Area, LGA, of Nasarawa State. There is growing insecurity leading to the loss of lives and property with farming communities in the state unable to cultivate their farms. 

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, while chairing a security meeting in the state last week, raised the alarm on the recent influx of bandits in five local government areas in the state. 

For instance, Doma, where the deputy governor hails from, is one of the five local government areas hit by the influx of bandits and other hoodlums. The natives are crying for help so as to save their lives from terrorists, particularly armed herdsmen but there seems to be no reasonable response from the security agents in the embattled community. 

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The police appear to be indifferent just as other security agencies whose presence in the area have since thinned out, leaving the people at the mercy of the daredevils. To make matters worse, the police have since abandoned the new police station built for them by the administration of former Governor Tanko Al Makura, while the same applies to  the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence, whose building has also been abandoned.

With this, the community is prone to attacks at will by hoodlums, bandits and armed robbers who have been terrorising the community without any form of help. The village head of Aghema in Ekye Development Area of Doma LGA has expressed serious worry over the desertion of the area by security operatives and the inexplicable and provocative closure of the police and the Civil Defence stations in the community.

Chief Godiya Eitonu told Arewa Voice that for over three years, the natives had not felt the presence of any security outfit, thereby exposing them to more and more assaults by criminals. “Former governor Almakura built a Police and Civil Defence stations in this community, but as I am talking to you right now the two stations are shut down and no single personnel of the Police or Civil Defence is currently in the community with over 10,000 people,” Chief Eitonu complained.

“I complained to the District Police Officer, DPO, of Agbashi that the police had deserted our community, but he said it was because of insufficient officers, and that when more officers were sent to the state, they would reopen the shut police station; but that has not happened. 

The DPO told me that even Agbashi, which is the headquarters of the development area, does not have adequate officers. Our community has become a-no-go area because we are at the mercy of killer Fulani herdsmen as we are forced to live every day with the fear of the unknown. 

The worst of it is that whenever we are attacked, it will take almost the whole day before any security agency responds because of the distance between our community and the nearby town, coupled with the bad road.

“Anybody who tells you that farmers can go to their farms in the all communities around our area is only deceiving those who do not live around here. It is sad to note that no single security operative can be seen in the community. We are neglected and abandoned in every aspect by government. Where there is threat or danger we have nowhere to run to.”

The village head lamented that people in his community cannot go to their farms because of attackers who are everywhere terrorising them and rapping both married and unmarried women. The community leader further lamented that whenever teachers are posted to the community, the fear of insecurity would force them them to seek transfer to safer places. Chief Eitonu appealed to the Police Command to show compassion on the people in the community and deploy officers of the command to the community.

The Nasarawa Police Public Relations Officer, Rahman Nansel, however, told Arewa Voice that he was not aware that any police station in the state had been deserted by officers and men and promised to find out.