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By Tracy Moses
Hon. Jafaru Muhammad (APC-Niger) has sounded the alarm over the worsening security crisis in his Agwara/Borgu Federal Constituency, warning that bandits could soon completely overrun the area if immediate measures are not taken.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, the lawmaker said the Kainji National Park, once a hub for wildlife and tourism, has effectively become a stronghold for armed criminals.
Muhammad noted that despite ongoing security operations, the situation has sharply deteriorated, particularly following the abduction of students from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Agwara Local Government Area.
He added that residents are fleeing their homes in large numbers, while those unable to escape face pressure to collaborate with the bandits.
“If urgent action is not taken and these criminals are allowed to consolidate their positions, it could result in a disaster for both our constituency and the surrounding region,” he cautioned.
Recalling a recent attack on November 2 in Gidan Guga along the Agwara-Borgu border, Muhammad said three people were killed in a family compound, and the father of the household sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Usman DanFodio University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto.
He listed several communities under bandit control, including Boyiya, Bakin Bara, Aika, Kuka, Dekara, Kerenji, Saminaka, and Audu Fari.
“The bandits are now using the National Park as a base to launch attacks on Agwara and Borgu in Niger State, Bagudo and Shanga in Kebbi, Kaiama and Baruten in Kwara, as well as neighbouring communities in the Benin Republic,” Muhammad said.
He further explained that most of the bandits are foreigners who do not speak local Nigerian languages and reportedly entered through Ibbi National Park in Zamfara and Katsina before making their way to Kainji.
“The security situation across the constituency is extremely grave and will only worsen unless urgent measures are taken to reclaim these areas from the bandits in the coming months,” he warned.
The lawmaker urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Chief of Defence Staff to mobilise military units equipped with modern weapons to clear the National Park near Kainji Dam.
He also called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons to deliver essential relief materials to victims and displaced families throughout the constituency.
Finally, Muhammad proposed that the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture transform Kainji National Park into a productive agricultural site once the area is secured.