A public commentator in Zamfara State, Malam Buhari Abubakar, has advised both the federal and state governments to, as a matter of urgency, tackle the menace of insecurity in the state.

According to him, banditry was waxing stronger than before.

Abubakar explained that nobody should pretend that all is well in the state because residents have not been sleeping with their two eyes closed for over a decade.

“Let me tell you that over 400 villages and communities are being controlled by the ravaging bandits in the state,” he lamented.

“The terrorists formed their own government in these areas and decide what happens and what should be done in the communities they control.

“The locals know these bandits and their hideouts, but they can not talk about them or expose them due to the fear of being killed by the terrorists. The bandits have been warning them not to talk to any journalist; otherwise, they would be attacked.”

According to him, the security of lives and property of the citizens of Nigeria rests fully on the shoulders of the federal government and not the state government, as many people are made to understand.

“The state governments only provide logistics for the security agencies to enable them to carry out their legitimate endeavours of securing lives and property of the citizens with ease.

“There is no doubt that Zamfara State has become a colony of banditry in the whole country. The rate of merciless killings, kidnappings, and rape has become very uncontrollable in the state.

“Records have clearly indicated that there are thousands of widows and orphans are roaming the streets aimlessly due to banditry that killed their husbands and fathers, thereby increasing the rate of almajiris.”

Abubakar further explained that the federal and State governments cannot stop these merciless killings, kidnappings, and rapes if drastic measures are not taken, pointing out that there are influential people behind these dastard acts, noting that the bandits are not operating alone.