Zamfara: Banditry Produces 4,938 Widows, 25,050 Orphans – Ex-IGP

*N3bn Collected As Ransom By Bandits To Free Abductees’

The Committee set up by the Zamfara Government to resolve the issue of banditry in Zamfara State, disclosed on Friday that banditry in the state has produced 4, 983 widows, while over N3 billion was paid as ransom by people to secure freedom of 3, 672 abducted relations.

The chairman of the committee, Mohammed Abubakar, who is a former Inspector General of Police, also revealed that no fewer than 25,050 children were orphaned and another 190,340 displaced over the period.

Revealing this when he presented a report of the committee to Governor Bello Matawalle, also disclosed that over 2,00o cattle, 141 sheep and goats, 2,600 donkeys and camels were lost to rustlers. About 147,800 vehicles, motorcycles, among others, were destroyed at different times and locations.

Tin a bid to end the perennial clash between herders and farmers, the former advised the government to take over all farmlands situated on grazing routes and adopt modern livestock farming, including embarking on unconditional disarmament and setting up of a judicial commission of inquiry to tackle banditry.

Receiving the report, the governor vowed to implement the recommendations, adding, “I would like to make it clear that personal relationship, sectional, geographical, religious and ethnic interests will have no role to play in the decision l will take with regard to recommendations of the committee, especially those that relate to the recommended sanctions and disciplinary measures.”