The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Saturday condemned the killing of about 74 persons by bandits in some villages in Sabon Birnin Gobir and Gwadabawa Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.
The NLC Preseident, Mr Ayuba Wabba, expressed the congress’ shock over the massacre by dare devil assailants on Wednesday (May 27) in the affected communities.
“The callous and gruesome killing of even children and infants in that moment of madness in Sokoto State, and on a day the whole world celebrated the Children’s Day is not only sacrilegious but indeed the height of barbarism.
“We condemn vehemently this orgy of violence and misery. It is of great concern to us that the cry for help by attacked communities in Sokoto State failed to attract timely intervention by the government and our security forces.
“This is very sad and disconcerting. To those children and adults mowed down by the bullets of the cowardly assailants, their government failed them. To the families licking the wounds of the death of their loved ones, the state failed them,” he said in a statement.
Wabba noted that the assailants in Sokoto had had free operation of killing and maiming, adding that withing the past 10 years about 10,000 Nigerians had been killed.
According to him, last Wednesday killings in Sokoto state is another round of death too many.
”We strongly reiterate our earlier calls for the silencing, once and for all, of the machines of death in every part of Nigeria.
“The social trauma, economic displacement and demographic dislocation occasioned by the tributaries of blood flowing through the plains of North East and North West Nigeria foretells foreboding consequences.
. “The spill over from the major theatres of violence in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna States is also affecting many other states in Nigeria especially states that are in the North Central.
“We urge the Federal Government to continue to invest robust resources in intelligence gathering, armament and equipping of the Nigerian military especially airpower given the terrain difficulties in many of the vulnerable communities constantly under attack.
“While we condole with the Sokoto State Government and families of those killed, we urge that the ongoing support being offered by the State Government should be broadened and sustained.
“May Allah reward the faithful departed with Aljannat Firdausi,” he said.
