If the military fails to wipe out bandits, Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai says north-west governors may turn to mercenaries to protect their citizens.
In recent weeks, the northern part of the country has seen an increase in the number of terror attacks, which have resulted in the deaths and abductions of a large number of people.
On Monday night, gunmen attacked a Kaduna-bound train in the Kateri-Rijana area of Kaduna, bringing the violence to a new level.
According to the Kaduna state government, 362 passengers boarded the train, 26 people were injured, eight bodies were found, and several people were still missing.
Gunmen stormed the railway station in the state’s Gidan area less than 24 hours later.
El-Rufai told President Muhammadu Buhari in an interview at the presidential villa on Friday that if military action against bandits is not taken, governors in the zone may hire mercenaries to protect their people.
In Hausa, the governor added that the rising insecurity in Kaduna is an attempt to cripple the state’s and the north’s economies.
That is why I came to see Mr. President, and I have also stated that if these actions are not taken, it will be necessary for us as governors to take steps to protect our citizens, even if it means importing mercenaries from outside the country if our soldiers fail,” the governor stated.
“I swear to God, we’re going to do it.” This problem has reached a critical stage. Mr. President assured me that he would take action and that the situation would be resolved in a matter of months.
“It is undeniably an attempt to completely cripple Kaduna’s and northern Nigeria’s economies.” All of this is happening only in the north, which is a concerning trend.
“All of this is taking place in Kaduna because people are investing there; this is what they want to stop; they want to ruin Kaduna, which is the nerve center of the north — the nerve center of Nigeria politics.”
Some say they’re doing it because of me, but it’s not true; they’re doing it to fight President Muhammadu Buhari, our party, and the north.”
El-Rufai went on to say that the attackers want to impoverish the zone ahead of the general election in 2023.
