October 24, (THEWILL) – The Sokoto state government on Saturday said it has asked the federal government to suspend its telecoms blockade on 14 local government areas of the state.
The blockade was imposed in September as part of efforts to clampdown on bandits operating in the North-West. A similar blockade is in effect in parts of Zamfara and Kaduna states.
But after “an enlarged security council meeting on the fallout of bandits attack on Goronyo market which claimed the lives of 43 people last week”, the Sokoto state government said it was necessary to review the blockade.
According to the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, the call for the rescinding of the blockade became necessary in view of concerns expressed by security outfits in the state that the outage was affecting the smooth conduct of their works.
The governor in a statement released by his media aide, Muhammad Bello, said the state government has already forwarded a letter to the minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami,to review the internet blockade.
According to the statement, the governor disclosed the state’s decision when he received, on Saturday, the North-East Governors Forum (NEGF) represented by governors of Borno and Gombe state, Prof. Babagana Aymara Zulum and Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya respectively.
The governors were on a condolence visit to the state over the recent attack on Goronyo market by bandits.
