Several people in Gwana District of Alkaleri LGA, Bauchi State, have been displaced by insurgency and are now taking refuge in Kashere, Akko LGA, Gombe State.
The displaced persons, currently at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, fled from Mansur, Yalau, Futuk, Duguri, and Gwana communities due to recent bandit attacks that claimed many lives.
The victims left their villages with the few belongings they could carry, alongside their children and elderly family members, when they could no longer resist the bandits.
The State Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, on Thursday, visited the camp to assess the situation and sympathise with the displaced persons.
While addressing the IDPs sheltered in a government learning facility at Kashere, Gombe State, Governor Bala Mohammed described the situation as “very bad, pathetic and very unfortunate.”
He appealed for urgent intervention from the federal government, stating, “Our people have been pushed out by about 10,000 well-armed bandits.”
The Governor added that the bandits are recruiting locals and outsiders, including former illegal miners. He, however, praised Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, for hosting the IDPs and vowed to work with security agencies to protect affected communities.
“We’ll meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu tomorrow to get directives for the military and police to tackle the issue. We’ll use technology and other means to decimate the bandits,” he said.
Governor Bala Mohammed announced plans to recruit 2,000 youths into vigilante groups to be trained as forest guards, emphasising community involvement in protecting themselves.
He raised concerns over what he described as an “ungoverned space” around Dajin Madam forest, alleging that bandits fleeing military operations in the North-West have regrouped there and are recruiting both outsiders and locals, including some formerly involved in illegal mining activities.
He noted that police drones had helped repel some of the attackers but stressed that more coordinated efforts were urgently needed.
The Governor disclosed that he would meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek stronger military support, additional arms for security agencies, and proper training for vigilantes and forest guards.
He emphasised that while governors are regarded as chief security officers of their states, they lack direct control over security apparatus and weapon deployment.
Governor Bala Mohammed further announced plans for a joint security summit involving the governors of Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, and Benue States to develop a coordinated strategy to flush out bandits and reclaim affected territories.
According to him, a decisive and unified onslaught is necessary to permanently address the growing insecurity in the region.
He thanked the Kashere community for hosting the IDPs and apologised for any inconvenience caused, saying, “This is the first time we’re facing this challenge, but we’ll overcome it.”
He pleaded that the victims should not be treated “as IDPs, but as brothers and sisters,” despite the disruption to academic activities at the primary school.
Earlier, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, assured that more security personnel are being deployed to maintain law and order in the affected areas.
“I want to assure the people that we are committed to the immediate restoration of peace and security in that environment. All strategies and arrangements have been put in place to ensure that peace and security return immediately to that axis,” the CP said.
He vowed that the Bauchi Police Command and other security agencies would not allow any part of Bauchi State to remain an ungoverned space.
The Chairperson of Akko Local Government Area, Hon. Danladi Adamu Akko, briefed the Governor on measures taken to provide shelter, food, and basic assistance to the displaced persons.
In his remarks, the Emir of Pindiga, Muhammad Seyoji Ahmad, pledged continued support and cooperation from traditional institutions in ensuring peace and stability.
Some of the IDPs, while thanking the Governor for the visit, narrated that the experience with the attackers was devastating and difficult to imagine. They lamented losing almost everything except their lives.
The visit underscored growing calls for intensified federal intervention as North-East states confront the increasing spillover of banditry from other parts of the country.