THE ALTERNATIVE With Reno Omokri
Last week, a video surfaced in which a repentant herdsman, of Fulani origin, alleged that he and other bandits were given AK-47s by the present administration, so that they could kill Nigerian citizens.
The man swore to this, and said his years of training as an almajiri led him to reject the bandit lifestyle, hence his admission.
Almost a week since that video went viral, the Buhari administration, which is usually very quick to respond to anything involving people of Fulani ethnicity, has remained loudly silent.
Is there silence consent? Is it an admission of guilt? Are these bandits, who are now killing Nigerians in every state of the federation, people who were surreptitiously brought to Nigeria in the run-up to the 2015 Presidential elections, and primed to soak innocent âdogs and baboons in bloodâ in the event that Buhari did not win that election?
There was a sense of déjà vu when female students of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Jangebe, in Talata Mafara local government area of Zamfara State were kidnapped, with many wondering whether the girls would be rescued.
But three days later, there was a sigh of relief when the girls were released with President Muhammadu Buhari pledging that such incidents will never happen again.
The past week also threw up some talking points, especially with the security situation in Zamfara.
Enjoy these and other stories that generated a buzz that kept tongues wagging.
1. Buhari’s hollow assurances
On February 28, President Buhari gave Nigerians assurance that the abduction of students in the country would never happen again under his watch.
Channels Television
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara says repentant bandits played a vital role in the release of about 300 Jangebe schoolgirls recently abducted by bandits in the state.
The governor said on Wednesday that the repentant bandits joined the military to go rescue the kidnapped girls.
He said the repentant bandits held talks with their unrepentant counterparts and were able to secure the release of the students and returned the girls to the waiting security operatives.
Matawalle spoke while featuring on Channels Television’s
Politics Today.
“Zamfara has a very vast area and we have borders with different states like Niger, Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Katsina. When it (the abduction) happened, I spoke with the security agents and they went together with the repentant bandits to the place where these guys (abductors) promised to bring the children.
We are leading with the continued search for
schoolgirls abducted in Zamfara State, the
imminent arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, and the importance of the soon-to-be-launched
Dangote Refinery to the Nigerian economy.
More than 300 students were kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State on February 26, 2021.
Search for Jangebe Girls Continues
On Saturday, the students and staff abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kagara in Niger State regained their freedom. A heartwarming development. But over 300 schoolgirls taken in a Junior Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State are still missing,
Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle on Sunday said his administration is still working on the release of the girls.