Pictures: New Zamfara gov leads Army, Police, others to forest, in search of bandits

The newly sworn-in governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has led security agents to bandits’ camps and hideouts near Wonaka town in Gusau Local Government Area of the state.

A statement by the governor’s spokesman, Yusuf Idris, said the governor, accompanied by his deputy Mahadi Aliyu-Gusau, heads of security agencies in the state, chased away the bandits from their camps.

According to him, Mr Matawalle led the operation on his way to Lilo community for condolence visit over killing of 8 persons and injuring of 18 others.

The governor’s spokesman said the bandits abandoned their hideouts across a nearby river and took advantage of the bushes and disappeared in order to escape the gunshot of security operatives who were on the governor’s convoy.

“Despite that, Matawallen-Maradun did not feel discouraged as he moved ahead to Lilo village for the condolence visit,” he said.

Mr Idris quoted the governor as saying: “As the chief security officer of the state, l have to show a good example, I have no option than to lead security agencies for this operation.

“As a leader, I have to show commitments to my people toward addressing this problem.”

The banditry has claimed over 3,000 lives in the past few years, the immediate-past Secretary to the Government of Zamfara, Abdullahi Shinkafi, said in August last year.

Mr Shinkafi also said the state government had spent some N17 billion in the past seven years on fighting the problem.

UPDATED: New Zamfara governor, Bello Matawalle, storms forest in search of bandits

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