Gov. Bello of Niger condemns abduction of Permanent Secretary, killings of villagers

Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger, has condemned the abduction of the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Transport, Dr Ibrahim Musa and his son, in Zungeru town.

Sani-Bello in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs Mary Noel-Berje, in Minna on Saturday, also condemned the murder of villagers by bandits, describing the attack as “evil and inhuman.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the permanent secretary was abducted on Friday, alongside his son in Zungeru, by gunmen who broke into his house at midnight.

The permanent secretary was said to had gone to Zungeru for a wedding ceremony, and was abducted shortly after the wedding.

The governor also decried the barbaric and atrocious acts of bandits in Shiroro and Munya Local Government Aeas, where scores of villagers were slaughtered and burnt while others abducted, food bans and houses razed.

He said with the recent turn of event in the acts of banditry, there was an urgent need for total overhauling of the strategy of the security aparatus.

Sani-Bello said that the security operatives could curtail the situation and called for more support by the public with useful and timely information.

He prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed, quick recovery of those injured and the safe return of those kidnapped.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s unrelenting efforts to address insecurity in the state.

(NAN)