Respected, Powerful People In Zamfara Behind Banditry, Killings –Governor Matawalle

Governor Bello Matawalle has expressed worry that bandits are gradually returning to Zamfara, alleging that top politicians are sponsoring the terrorists.

Matawalle also alleged that residents of the state have been by bandits as informants.

The governor questioned some top politicians in the state for declining to use the Quran to swear.

The Quran is the holy book of Islam, a faith that the governor professes.

In the past months, the state has come under a series of attacks by suspected bandits.

Bandits again on Tuesday abducted five female students of the College of Health Science and Technology, Tsafe, Zamfara State.

One of them escaped from the abductors.

Zailani Bappa, a media aide to the governor, in a statement condemned the gradual return of bandits and kidnappers to the state.

“Strong facts indicate that the recurrence of banditry in the state is aided and abetted mostly by powerful indigenes. Some of these people are strong personalities who the people respect.

“There are also, among the generality of the people who receive paltry sums of money to serve as informants to bandits,” Bappa quoted the governor as saying.

He added that it was based on suspicion that the governor directed those taking political appointments to swear by the Quran while taking the oath of office, NAN reports.

He noted that some top politicians in the state, however, declined to use the Quran.

Matawalle also described swearing by the Quran as the only way for politicians to distance themselves from banditry and kidnapping.

The governor explained that the government and security forces had been able to reduce banditry and kidnapping despite multiple challenges.

The governor assured that the security forces had employed new strategies to contain the trend.

“They want people to revolt against the state and the federal government. They will not succeed. Success is ours by the grace of God, the Almighty,” Matawalle was also quoted as saying.

Troops have secured the release of 700 kidnap victims, mostly women and children, according to the Zamfara government.