Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has said all the governors in Nigeria are helpless in terms of protecting the lives and property of citizens.
Speaking after Ambazonia fighters from Cameroon invaded a village in Taraba and killed 11 persons, including the monarch, the governor said there is nothing his administration could have done to prevent the attack since he does not control security agencies.
The governor said before the incident, he had complained to the federal government and the military about the threat posed by the group.
Adding that if had powers to control the police, he would have deployed the police in the community, he also added that there is need for state police.
Ishaku spoke in an interview with Channels Television.
“We are under the federal government when it comes to the military and police. There is nothing a state government can do. We rely on them.”
“What else can a governor do, if I had complained? What else can I do? I wish I knew if this thing was going to happen yesterday.
“It is not only me that is helpless. All the governors in Nigeria are helpless. I have said it, times without number.
“All the governors in Nigeria are helpless that is why we are saying give us state police. If we have state police, I will have ordered the police.
“All the governors — not only Darius Ishaku — are helpless; not only the Taraba state government that is helpless, all of us.
“The governors are helpless. Go and ask other governors and tell me who has a solution to give. We have to depend on the federal might when it comes to security.”
When asked if he had a local security initiative to address insecurity, he said:
“We have vigilantes but what will a vigilante do when he does not have an AK-47? And people are charging at him with AK-47.
“I just told you that even the immigration tried their best (referring to when Ambazonia fighters invaded the community). I don’t know which gun the immigration was using. Apparently, maybe the type of normal old gun of cork and fire.
“To be frank with you, even the military needs to be equipped, even the police need to be equipped.
“All these para-military (agencies) need to be equipped. Federal government must decide to equip them and equip them properly.”
