Governor Bello Matawalle has given bandits in Zamfara state two more months to repent and surrender.
Matawalle urged the bandits to embrace his government’s peace initiative in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday March 9. He also disclosed that President Buhari has ordered the deployment of 6,000 additional troops to the state.
He said;
“As a fall out of my discussion with President Muhammadu Buhari and security high commands in Abuja, it was resolved that 6,000 additional troops are to be deployed to the state to complement the current efforts by the security forces. The troops will soon arrive in the state for their operations.
“Again, the president has agreed to a timeframe within which the recalcitrant bandits should accept our peace truce and surrender their weapons to the government.
“Even though we are enjoying relative peace as a result of the dialogue and reconciliation programme, many bandits have refused to key into the programme and elected to sustain their attacks and other nefarious activities against our communities.
“Government has equally observed that there is sabotage by some unscrupulous elements, both within and outside the state. It is also observed that informants are becoming rampant and their callous activities undetected due to some of our people’s attitude of indifference.
“As a further push to bring to an end the activities of the recalcitrant bandits so as to bring lasting peace to the state, the recalcitrant bandits have been given two months from today within which to embrace the peace process and surrender their weapons to the government.”
Matawalle also banned the conveyance of more than two persons on a motorbike, while also warning political actors against compromising the security in the state. Traditional rulers and sole administrators of local government councils were also asked to remain in their base to monitor the influx of people in their respective locations.
The Governor added;
“Conveyance of more than two persons on a motorbike is hereby banned with immediate effect. Security agents are directed to arrest and arraign the violators of this order for prosecution.”
