The Chairman of Isa Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Alhaji Sharifu Kamarawa, has revealed that some communities in his council remain under the control of bandits, despite efforts to combat insecurity in the region. Kamarawa disclosed this on Thursday, October 11, while receiving the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, at the local government secretariat.
During the meeting, Kamarawa explained that bandits, led by notorious leader Kachalla Bello Turji, continue to exert control in the eastern part of Isa, appointing and deposing village heads at will. He said, “Here in Isa town, we are living peacefully. The problem is in the eastern part of Isa. There are places that are still under the control of bandits. They appoint and depose village heads there.”
The chairman made an urgent appeal for the reinstatement of a military camp in Kagara, which was previously relocated. According to him, the presence of the military camp had helped to maintain relative peace in the affected areas before it was moved. “We are appealing for a military camp in Kagara to take care of those areas. We used to have a camp there before it was relocated. Then there was relative peace in those places. So we want the camp back,” he pleaded.
Kamarawa also noted that the situation has slightly improved since the death of Halilu Sububu, a notorious bandit kingpin, about a month ago. He stated that attacks on communities had decreased, and residents could now travel on some previously unsafe roads.
In response, the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, assured the residents that President Bola Tinubu is deeply concerned about the ongoing insecurity in the North. He cited this concern as the reason behind the President's decision to appoint northerners as Ministers of Defence and other key security positions.
“The President also directed me to ensure militarisation of all the danger areas in the state. So we are going to create a military base at Gundumi, which will be patrolling the Gundumi-Marnona road that has remained closed for years,” Matawalle said.
The minister further promised the deployment of additional security personnel to Isa Local Government Area and called for cooperation from the local communities in providing information on bandits' movements. “So we need your support because the issue of security is everyone’s business. We need to know about the bandits' movement,” he added.