The Sokoto state government has formally written to the Federal Government to suspend the blockade of telecommunications services imposed on 14 local government areas of the state earlier this week, following an enlarged Security Council meeting about bandits’ attack on Goronyo market, which claimed the lives of 43 people last week.
Sokoto state Governor Aminu Tambuwal revealed this on Saturday when he received the North-East Governors Forum, which was represented by Governors of Borno and Gombe states, Professor Babagana Zulum and Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, respectively, who paid a condolence visit to the state following the bandit attack last week.
According to Governor Tambuwal, the call for the rescinding of the blockade became necessary because of concerns expressed by security outfits in the state that the outage was affecting the smooth conduct of their works.
“The state government has already forwarded a letter to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to review the internet blockade,” the governor said.
Tambuwal, who attributed the influx of the marauders to the security operations in Zamfara state, asked the Federal Government to expand the onslaught against bandits operation to other states of the North-West.
In the same vein, the six governors of the North-East geopolitical zone have donated the sum of N20 million to the Sokoto state government. The gesture is coming a week after the dastardly killings of 43 people in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto state.
While announcing the donation, Governor Zulum, who is also the Chairman of the North-East Governors Forum, expressed his sadness over the incident and promised that with his more than a decade of experience dealing with Boko Haram insurgents, he will provide valuable advice to Sokoto state and other North-Western states currently beset by bandits and marauders.
While praising the NEGF for its generosity, Tambuwal promised that his administration would benefit from his colleagues’ vast experience.
Ada Peter
