ABUJA — The battle against insecurity in Nigeria took an unexpected twist when Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State accused certain federal government agencies of engaging in covert discussions with bandits…CONTINUE READING....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Governor Lawal called upon the Federal Government to provide clarification on this matter, expressing concern over reports suggesting that a delegation allegedly representing federal agencies had been conducting negotiations with bandit groups in Zamfara without his knowledge.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the federal government proved unfruitful at the time of reporting, with a source from the presidency indicating that Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, would be the appropriate spokesperson.
However, Governor Lawal has urgently called for a comprehensive federal government investigation into the secretive negotiations with bandits in Zamfara State.
In an official statement released by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, Governor Lawal lamented the actions of federal government agencies engaged in these negotiations without consulting the state government and other security authorities.
The statement emphasized Governor Lawal’s plea for the federal government to clarify the actions of these federal agencies, which appear to contradict the state government’s commitment to a kinetic strategy in combating banditry.
Governor Lawal stated, “We must learn from these past mistakes and adopt a new approach to restore peace in Zamfara. The Zamfara State government has taken a firm stance from the beginning – we will not negotiate with these criminals.
Ensuring the fight against banditry remains a top priority for the Zamfara State government, and we cannot afford to compromise our efforts. We urge the federal government to take swift action by discontinuing the ongoing negotiations with the bandits in Zamfara, as it undermines the progress achieved so far.”
