- Safiu Kehinde
The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the state governor, Dauda Lawal, over his comment on the security affairs in the state.
In what it described as appalling and uncalled for, the Zamfara APC in a statement issued by its Publicity Secetary, Malam Yusuf Idris, condemned Dauda’s admittance of being aware of movement of bandits in the state and can wipe them out within two weeks.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor had however in a recent interview with journalists claimed he had no authority to carry out full action against them.
This, according to Idris, again exposed how Dauda’s hands have been allegedly soiled in supporting and harbouring the bandits terrorising the innocent citizens in the state.
“It is unfortunate for the governor and Chief Security Officer of the state to be saying that he is aware of the movement of every bandits’ kingpin and his gang operating in the state.
“Very unfortunately, the governor refused to give intelligence report to the security agencies fighting the bandits, day and night.
“The APC as a party, we don’t know why the governor continues to overlook the issue of insecurity, giving bandits the chance to continue killing and abducting the innocent citizens,
“The governor unequivocally told the media men that he knows all the bandits’ camps operating in Zamfara forests and knows their every movement.
“Therefore, as the chief security officer of the state, he has consistently refused to take proactive measures against them.
“But only saying, if he had the authority, he’d bring banditry to an end in the state within two weeks,” The Zamfara APC spokesperson said.
The opposition party in the state also expressed worries on why the governor has never approached the Federal Government to partner with it in the effort to clear the state of bandits.
“We noticed that at several times, the governor always condemn the Federal government under the APC,” Idris added.
The APC urged Lawal to emulate the former governor, Bello Matawalle’s strategies towards addressing banditry.
“The APC also recalled that the former governor, Bello Matawalle, during his celebration of his first 100 days in office, distributed 200 fully equipped operational vehicles to all the security agencies in the state and backed it up with allowances to ease their logistics.
“The governor’s statement is a clear acceptance of his government’s failure to protect the lives and properties of the citizens against bandits attacks.
“The APC calls on Lawal to concentrate on delivering his campaign promises of ending banditry in two months and stop apportioning blames on anybody,” Idris further said.