Bandits Overwhelming Us — Gov Matawalle Cries Out

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  • Says North now host 30,000 gangsters, 100 criminal camps
  • Defends his negotiations with bandits 

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State says with over 100 camps hosting about 30,000 bandits, the northern part of Nigeria is gradually being overwhelmed by criminal elements.

And in a veiled admittance of obvious security failure, the governor said dialoguing and deploying repentant bandits to convince the recalcitrant ones was his administration’s best option to save the lives of innocent Zamfara people

However, in sounding the alarm signal, Governor Matawalle said the north has become hugely endangered with the bandits and other criminal elements now having strongholds spread across six states in the region.

He said alongside Zamfara, among states also affected by these criminal activities are Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger and Sokoto.

Addressing a media briefing in Kaduna, Kaduna State on Friday, Governor Matawalle said; “At least, there are almost one hundred (100) different bandit camps with no fewer than300 bandits in each of these camps having sophisticated weapons with them.”

The Zamfara Chief Executive, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, stated that more alarming for Zamfara State is the ease at which the bandits have established about 24 routes and criminal networks across its 14 local government areas with about 232 leaders and large followership of over 4,825 outlaws across the state.

According to him, the ugly development has resulted in daily loss of lives and property; unending spate of kidnapping people for ransom; rustling of livestock in their thousands; as well as other forms of crimes and criminality.

The governor said available statistics indicate that between 2011 when the crisis began and 2019, about 2,619 lives have been lost; 1,190 persons kidnapped; over N900 million paid as ransom; and not less than 14,378 animals rustled in the state by bandits.

Further highlighting the pains suffered by Zamfara people, Governor Matawalle said; “One hundred thousand people were displaced from their ancestral homes. This is in addition to the hundreds of houses that were burned to ashes with foodstuffs and other valuables worth billions of naira destroyed by the bandits.

“People were traumatised. 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.

“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 neighbouring countries, with no solution in sight. The crisis defied all forms of solution.”

The governor explained that against all odds and criticisms in some quarters, these disturbing statistics were behind the State government’s moves and eventual negotiations with the bandits to possibly get the urgently needed respite for the traumatized people of Zamfara.

And stoutly defending his administration’s strategy of initial negotiations with the criminal elements, the Governor Matawalle said; “Now tell me, which is the best option for the governor? To fold his arms and watch his people being killed or to go for dialogue and continue to use repentant bandits to convince the recalcitrant bandits to save the lives of the governed?”

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