Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gummi, has said the lingering security challenge in Zamfara and other states in the North was as a result of poverty, marginalisation and illiteracy festered on the Fulani people in the region.
According to him, they are the major causes of banditry and other crimes.
Gummi stated this when he paid a courtesy call to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle at the Government House Thursday, after visiting some bandits’ camps in the state.
He said the lack of basic necessities of life particularly in the areas of health care delivery, education, grazing reserves; good roads network were some of the factors that had contributed “immensely to armed banditry and other criminal activities in the region.”
According to him, the security challenge in the state is an act of insurgency which needs to be contained through the on-going peace dialogue initiated by the state government.
The renowned cleric called on the federal government to grant amnesty to all bandits groups in the North like it did in the Niger Delta “for them to live like any other Nigerian” for the restoration of peace and development of the region.
He also commended the Zamfara state government for initiating the peace reconciliation process with bandits and Yansakai, and pledged to support the peace dialogue.
In his remarks, Governor Matawalle thanked the cleric for the visit and enjoined other Islamic scholars to emulate him by embarking on a preaching session to the warring parties on the significance of peace dialogue and humanity.
“With your coming to Zamfara state, I am now vindicated about how some unpatriotic politicians are agitating that our government is aiding banditry and armed bandits groups. At least you understand the situation and we are going to sustain the peace dialogue process regardless of how long it will take us to attain the desired objectives,” he said.
