Bauchi Gov Rejects Police Report, Says Slain Officers Not Killed By Bandits

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has rejected a report by the Bauchi State Police Command that five policemen were killed by bandits on Sunday.

According to the governor, the five police officers killed in the Darazo Local Government Area of the state were not victims of a bandit attack.

Recall the Bauchi State Police Command had on Sunday announced that five personnel were killed in what it described as an ambush by bandits in Sabon Sara village, Darazo LGA in a statement by its spokesperson, Ahmed Wakil.

Wakil had stated that the officers were attacked while responding to distress calls from the community.

But the state governor on Wednesday dismissed the police report while speaking during the opening of the State Executive Council meeting.

He said, “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.

He explained that while security agencies had advised the state government to close schools over the possibility of student abductions, the Darazo incident should not be misconstrued as part of the wider insecurity linked to bandits.

“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.

“Yes, we closed our schools because security agencies told us there was a likelihood of abduction of students, as has happened in other states,” he said.

Mohammed explained that the closure was a proactive step to ensure the safety of students, noting that although he is the chief security officer of the state, security agencies often have deeper intelligence.

“It’s not to create fear but to be safe and secure. It’s 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 also said the ongoing recruitment of vigilantes would run concurrently with the implementation of the Safe School Programme as outlined by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

“At least, we will do our own part and leave the rest to our Creator,” he said.