We’ve supported vigilantes with 80 guns, says LG chair as reps visit Plateau community

Ado Abubakar Buba, chairman of Wase LGA in Plateau state, says his administration has supported vigilantes in the area with weapons to combat insecurity. 

Buba spoke on Thursday when some members of the house of representatives visited the LGA.

The lower legislative chamber had set up an ad hoc committee in December 2021 to investigate security challenges.

The decision of the house was sequel to a motion sponsored by Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the house, over frequent attacks in Pinau, Wase LGA of the state.

As part of the resolutions, the lower parliament had asked Bashir Magashi, minister of defence, to initiate coordinated joint security operations within Wase federal constituency and adjoining towns located in Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Nasarawa states to “flush out the bandits and prevent them from escaping to other states”.

However, attacks in the area and other parts of the country have continued.

Last week, Wase had said security agencies rarely act upon the resolutions of the lower parliament.

“It is like our resolutions are mere statements. If they are taking us seriously, I believe many of these things (attacks) can be stopped,” Wase had said while commenting on the abduction of a monarch in Plateau state on the floor of the house.

Speaking while addressing the lawmakers, Buba said the council has provided 80 pump-action rifles to vigilantes, adding that the area must be safe to enable farmers to return to farms this planting season in order to have what to harvest next year.

“It is very gladdening that at least our issue has been taken up at the national level and we hope and pray that it’s going to yield fruits very soon, so that at least our people will be able to use the remaining raining season to farm what they are going to consume next year,” he said.

“It’s adversely affecting farming activities and also the activities that are within the local government area. Wase local government area is largely agrarian. It’s either among 10 people, six to seven are farmers and three to four are herders.

“We have done a lot. The first was to mobilise the whole community through uniting them on a single mission — that is to combat these criminals — and we have effectively achieved that.

“The second thing is that, where the communities are affected, we have taken some immediate relief materials.

“We’ve also empowered our vigilantes by getting some pump-action guns for them. We have a total of 80 so far, but because of the economic crunch, we could not go further. That is why we are trying at all costs to see that the other two senior tiers (federal and state governments) come to our rescue too, so that, at least, our people will be able to farm this year and get what they are going to eat.”

Abubakar Fulata, chairman of the committee, said the lawmakers are “concerned about the wanton killings in Plateau state”.

“Hence the resolve of the ad-hoc committee set up by the house to embark on the fact-finding investigation with a view to making profound recommendations for the house approval and transmitting same to the federal government for appropriate action,” he said.

“Aside from Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and Benue as well as Zamfara, Sokoto and some parts of Katsina state, Plateau is one of the most affected states by the security challenges.

“It’s very unfortunate that terrorists and bandits are having a free day here. They have stopped farmers from cultivating their lands. They are abducting people for ransom, and there are a lot of atrocities being committed. This is what we observed here so far.”

The meeting had in attendance traditional rulers who narrated how they have “suffered losses” as a result of insecurity.