The Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has insisted that his administration would never dialogue with bandits across the state.
He said negotiating with bandits only gives them more room for operation and leverage to do more terrible things.
The governor reiterated that his government would never go into negotiating with bandits while explaining the negative impacts of doing such.
Lawal, during a weekly preaching session organised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in the state on Friday, said instead of dialoguing with them, the state would be involved in a reaccess to improve tactics in handling them.
The governor, in a statement by his spokesman, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said, “Governor Dauda Lawal, during a remark at the Weekly Preaching Session in Gusau, elaborated on the negative impact of negotiating with bandits, stressing that it only encourages them and creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity for law-abiding citizens.
“He emphasised the need to acknowledge the reality – the criminals have proven themselves untrustworthy in past dialogues. Continuing to negotiate with them would not produce any favourable results. It is time to reassess our approach and consider more forceful tactics to handle the matter decisively.
“Governor Lawal further urged traditional and religious leaders to always align with the truth, to voice out the truth no matter who is involved.
“He tasked political leaders and citizens to prioritise the state’s security over politics, emphasising that the peace and stability of Zamfara is non-negotiable.”
It would be recalled that the Zamfara State government accused the federal government of negotiating with bandits in the state after some unknown gunmen kidnapped some students in the state.
