Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State gave insight into the prevalence of banditry in the state, revealing that there are no fewer than 30,000 gunmen spread across more than 100 camps in and around the state.
He said such is the grip of bandits on the state that they collected N970 million as ransom from the families of their victims in the eight years between 2011 and 2019.
During the same period, the bandits killed 2,619 people and kidnapped 1,190 others.
Matawalle who assumed office in May 2019 made this known through the Information Commissioner Ibrahim Magaji Dosara at a press conference in Kaduna.
He said the administration chose to dialogue with the bandits in view of the “shortage of manpower in the security sector and a very poor intelligence network.”
He said: “Yet, the governor must ensure the protection of the lives and property of the people.
“Now tell me, which is the best option for the governor? To fold his arms to watch his people being killed or to go for dialogue and continue to use the repentant bandits to convince the recalcitrant bandits to save the lives of the governed?”
