Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, says the state government paid over N900 million to bandits in eight years. He also disclosed that 30, 000 bandits were in different camps in the forests of the Zamfara and neighbouring Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger and Katsina states.
No fewer than 2, 619 persons were killed and 1,190 abducted by the bandits between 2011 and 2019, according to the governor. In the same vein, about 100,000 people had been displaced from their homes.
Matawalle, who spoke at a media briefing in Kaduna, said “People were traumatized; farmers were prevented from going to their farms to cultivate the usual food and cash crops for their daily needs. There was general food insecurity in the state in particular and the region in general”.
Speaking through his Information Commissioner, Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, the governor presented a helpless situation, saying he had no option than to negotiate with them as part of the measures to check the blistering attacks by an estimated 4, 000 bandits he said, were in Zamfara forests without adequate security forces to withstand their firepower.
“The economy of the state was devastated by the crisis. This is in addition to the proliferation of both light and heavy weapons, with a high influx of bandits from the neighbouring countries, with no solution in sight. The crisis defied all forms of solution. This is in addition to a large number of bandits camps across the state and beyond.
There are almost 100 different bandits’ camps with no fewer than 300 bandits in each of these camps in possession of sophisticated weapons, coupled with the shortage of manpower in the security sector and a very poor intelligence network. Yet, the governor must ensure the protection of the lives and property of the people.
“Now tell me, which is the best option for the governor; to fold his arms to watch his people being killed or to go for dialogue and continue to use the repentant bandits to convince the recalcitrant bandits to save the lives of the governed? They are also helping in the identification of the leaders of the recalcitrant bandits, including their camps and location for dialogue and reconciliation.”
Matawalle said since the commencement of the dialogue and peace process with the bandits, the state had been free of attacks and kidnappings for almost eight months.
“The recent upsurge in occasional attacks and kidnappings are being masterminded by the activities of some conflict entrepreneurs and informants who connived with the recalcitrant bandits to commit heinous acts against our innocent people”.
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