Banditry, others: Matawalle directs communities to defend themselves

The Zamfara state governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has directed communities across the state not to fold their arms and watch criminals to attack them, but to defend themselves where necessary.

Matawalle gave the directive on Friday during a special sermon session to mark his second year anniversary in office held at Gusau Eid ground.

“We must tell our people to defend themselves and their respective domains whenever these dreaded groups of recalcitrant bandits attempt to attack them before they could get any response from the security personnel,” he said.

He described the activities of the bandits in the state as “callous and inhumane,” vowing that his administration would continue to give the necessary support to the federal government in its fight against banditry in the entire North-east.

Governor Matawalle had early last year introduced a peace reconciliation process with bandits’ groups following which hundreds of them surrendered their arms and embraced peace while those who refused to surrender still continued to attack communities on a daily basis.

According to the governor, “henceforth, both informants and kidnappers if arrested will be executed according to the law.”

“Let me make it categorically clear that both informants who are assisting bandits and kidnappers if arrested in my state will be vanquished irrespective of his origin inclinations.”

He called on indigenes to always pray for the return of relative peace and to remain calm and law-abiding by supporting the federal and state governments in their efforts to rid the state and the country of criminal elements.