Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said bullets and other forces of arms alone cannot stop armed robbery, banditry, and other forms of criminality in the country. He said this on Sunday in Abuja at the 50th birthday reception of a former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka. He said: With the level of armed robbery and other crimes going on, it shows clearly that bullets alone cannot solve them. “It requires top-quality programmes of government. It requires technology, it requires a lot to stop armed robbery and all forms of crimes, including corruption that we talk about every day. “Because it is difficult to stake a rule and think that that would solve the problems.”
Insecurity has continued to rise across some states in the country. Over the weekend several deaths were recorded in some parts of the country, all blamed on unknown gunmen and bandits. On Sunday armed men suspected to be bandits attacked Kurar Mota community, in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing at least 13 police officers. Governor Bello Matawalle, expressed shock at the killing of the policemen.
In Kaduna state, suspected bandits killed one villager and abducted 7 persons, including three women at Birnin Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State. The State Police Command is yet to comment on the incident as the Public Relations Officer, ASP Jalige Mohammed, promised to get details from the area before commenting.
In Edo state, specifically Owan West Local Government Area, five suspected kidnappers were burnt to death at the weekend by locals along Afuze - Uokha road. The gunmen were said to have attacked and abducted some travellers, whom they took into the bush. However the kidnappers ran out of luck as they were arrested by vigilantes who brought them out of the forest, where they were seized by the locals and burnt to death.
