Matawalle blames politicians for sustaining banditry in the state but fails to explain why he has not gotten them arrested
Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has dashed the hope of anyone thinking that the bandits running amok in his state would soon be tamed.
Matawalle rather said that banditry will not end soon in his state because some individuals want it to continue to score political points and justify their views that the government is not serious about bringing a halt to the crisis.
The governor said this Monday while responding to questions from State House reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Matawalle is however hopeful that banditry would be minimized because of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to security agencies to go after the bandits.
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The governor dismissed reports that over 200 persons were killed in the recent attacks in Bukuyyum and Anka areas of the state, arguing that the number was 58 as confirmed by traditional leaders.
Matawalle who said he visited the scenes of the banditry attacks, added: “Well, you know when I assumed duty as governor, I used so many options to bring this insecurity to a minimal level. First of all, I initiated dialogue and reconciliation between the herders and farmers and during that dialogue, we spent more than nine months without any crisis in Zamfara State.
“But unfortunately, people use politics, because they have collaborators. So, they went back to those bandits, telling them that the government is not serious about this dialogue, that we did not give them anything. So, the bandits decided to go back to their normal businesses. That’s why I backed out from the reconciliation programme. But definitely, it worked for over nine months. But because this is something that I inherited, that has been going on for almost eight years, and you don’t expect it to end within just two years of my administration. Because it is supposed to be ongoing process.
“So, after I realised that some of them had backed out of this dialogue, then I cut off the programme. I then initiated the cutting off communications, and some logistics that used to go to the bandits. And it worked too.
“But sometimes, those collaborators who are usually happy with what is happening, who are even jubilating if people are being killed, they went back and started again, saying that the government is not serious and instigating some of the public. In fact, they even dragged me to court,” he said.
