Zambarmari Massacre: Not time for blame game, name calling ― Bala Mohammed
By Charly Agwam, Bauchi
Following the beheading of forty-three farmers by members of Boko Haram at the weekend, Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed has challenged political and military leaders to, once and for all, find a lasting solution to insurgency in the Northeast.
The statement was contained in a press release made available to Vanguard on Monday through the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Muhktar Gidado.
The governor remarked that although it was tempting to blame and call names, he said the situation calls for sober reflection, while also challenging political and military leaders to join hands to insurgency for the sake of the country’s stability.
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“As tempting as it is, we believe that this is not a time for blame game or name-calling. Rather, the moment calls for sober reflection, for the closing of ranks by the political and military elite as well as other stakeholders, to work out a solution to end this protracted destabilising insurgency. It is also with every sense of responsibility that we want to place on record our view that the security challenges plaguing the entire country demand a complete overhaul of the prevailing national security architecture so that the gaps in intelligence gathering, human capacity and firepower can be sufficiently ameliorated.
“Once again, the nation is united in grief as we mourn the macabre murder of many innocent Nigerians, by the Boko Haram insurgents. Though the victims lived in Zabarmari town, the attack, no doubt the most horrendous in recent times, was said to have taken place at Koshebe Village of Mafa Local Government Area, about twenty-five minutes’ drive from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
“The Government and people of Bauchi State deprecate, in the strongest terms, this blood-chilling barbarity, an affront to the Government and people of Nigeria and a challenge to our national resolve and capacity, to guarantee the safety of lives and property, of both Nigerian citizens and residents.
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“We feel the pains of the inhabitants of this breadbasket that has been turned into a killing field. It is indeed a painful irony, that the farmers were slaughtered while engaging in the legitimate effort not only to feed their families but to contribute to national development. This indeed is one massacre too many,
“Our hearts go out to the traumatised families of the victims and the Government and good people of Borno State. We also commiserate with the President and Commander-in-Chief who, despite all efforts so far, has had to carry the brunt of this senseless insurgency that has dislocated life in Northeast Nigeria with a Domino-like effect on the entire country.
We pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of the victims of the ‘Zabarmari’ massacre and entrust members of the bereaved families to God’s protection and succour,” the governor said.
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