Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who governs one of the 36 federating states within the Federal Republic of Nigeria in West Africa, has clarified that the killing of five police officers in Darazo Local Government Area was not carried out by criminal bandit groups, contrary to earlier information released by the Nigeria Police Force in the state.
Okay News reports that the Nigeria Police Force in Bauchi State had announced the deaths on Sunday, stating that the police personnel were ambushed by “bandits” in Sabon Sara village, which is located in Darazo Local Government Area, a region in northeastern Nigeria.
The spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force in Bauchi State, Ahmed Wakil, explained at the time that the officers were attacked while responding to distress calls from members of the affected community.
However, during the opening session of the Bauchi State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday in Bauchi, the state capital, Governor Bala Mohammed rejected that earlier narrative and insisted that the incident had no connection to banditry or marauding gunmen often linked to insecurity in northern Nigeria.
“We had an incident in Darazo reported as banditry. But I want to tell you that it is not banditry; it is a community issue. We are on the ground, we know it, and we will handle it very well,” he said.
The governor acknowledged that security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services under the Office of the National Security Adviser of the Federal Government of Nigeria, had earlier advised the Bauchi State Government to close schools due to intelligence suggesting a potential threat of student abductions. He stressed that the Darazo killings should not be grouped with the wider pattern of mass abductions perpetrated by criminal gangs in other regions.
“Because of security reasons, I will not divulge all the information. But our investors should be assured that what happened in Darazo is not banditry,” he stated.
Governor Bala Mohammed noted that the temporary closure of schools was a protective measure aimed at preventing any possible attacks on students, explaining that although he serves as the chief security officer of the state, security formations often have access to deeper intelligence.
“It is not to create fear but to be safe and secure. It is better than going with ego. We will make sure we do as much as we can to secure vulnerable and hard-to-reach schools, including fencing them before the end of the year. All our schools must be fenced, with lighting and other safety measures,” he added.
The governor further said that the recruitment of community vigilante members, a security support initiative used in several Nigerian states, would run alongside the Safe School Programme being coordinated nationwide by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“At least, we will do our own part and leave the rest to our Creator, Allah (SWA),” he said.
