By
Anas Sani Anka
( An Opinion Article in memory of Barr. Ahmad Yado Kwatarkwashi)
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It is with deep sense of sympathy I write this piece firstly to condole with the families of late Barr. Abubakar Muhammad Kwatarkwashi and indeed his the Nigerian Barr. Association Gusau branch over the demise of one of their own.
His gruesome murder before his family is the most inhuman action every reasonable human being can imagine.
He was killed in a protest against the deadly behavior of the suspected armed bandits who invaded his house and wanted to kidnap him.
His resistance to following them to the forest in demand for payment of ransom cost him his dear life, and he was killed carelessly by a heartless group of people.
His two wives and five children were turned to helpless orphans with no one to predict the prospects of their future.
The most unfortunate side of the whole thing is that not a single press release was issued either by the state government or the security agencies condemning what happened or condoling the family members of the decease.
Being a professional lawyer who has given his very best to the development of the legal practice in Zamfara and also an executive member of the NBA Gusau branch, the state government needs to show its serious concern about the manner he was killed and explained what the government is doing to avert the occurrence of such ugly incidences.
Now the security situation in Zamfara has reached a peak that people no longer have confidence in the ability of the government to protect them and this situation is a clear demonstration of the fact that Zamfara is at the verge of becoming a “failed state”.
The people of Shinkafi have proven my hypothesis right because they have ignored the position of the state government and instituted a dialogue with the bandits.
What the people of Shinkafi have done is a clear demonstration of the fact that they have lost confidence in the ability of the government to protect them, and that is the real fact.
The bandits have became powerful murderers and they can strike in the day or in the night at home or on the highway and killed innocent people at will with the government and its forces watching without anything to offer.
The bandits have grown wings so much so that they can enforce fines on dozens of communities who want to access their farms for the farming activities, and the villagers are paying the fine just to secure an option for their survival.
I think It’s either the government should take this issue with all sense of seriousness or the tragedy will consume all of us and the bandits from the way things are going, have the capacity to make Zamfara state ungovernable for the powers that be.
The majority of the locals are under the rule of the bandits in Zamfara state there is no second thought about this and those living in the rural areas can testify to this assertion and because the people have no option they accepted that as their destiny.
The government needs to be honest to itself and take this issue of insecurity with all sense of seriousness.
As for the NBA Gusau branch, there is the urgent need for the leadership to develop safety mechanism for their members and also engage the government constructively in making sure that security has been beeped up around courts so that activities of the informants who may set up legal practitioners against whatever ill-feelings may be aborted.
I may wish to use this opportunity once again plead with the families of the decease to accept what happened to their bread-winner as destiny from God and continue to pray for him for mercy and eternal rest.
May God Almighty secure Zamfara State and it’s people
