I’ll no longer grant amnesty to bandits, Matawalle vows

Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle, says that the state government is no longer interested in holding a dialogue with bandits, noting that they had spurned the olive branch once extended to them.

He said in Gusau that instead, security forces would flush them out of the state.

“My administration will no longer grant amnesty to bandits as they have failed to embrace the peace initiative earlier extended to them,’’ the governor said, while addressing a congregation.

He urged residents to be patient and to support new security measures put in place to flush out bandits and their collaborators to restore peace in the state.

The governor said the barrage of attacks on bandits by security forces had made them to make a fresh overture to government seeking dialogue.

He said the bandits’ emissaries informed him that they had repented and would want to dialogue with government.

He noted that some of the bandits were running out of Zamfara to other states as a result of the new security measures introduced by the state government.

Matawalle warned politicians against giving any form of support to bandits, stressing that: “politicians should fear God and stop buying motorcycles to distribute to people who, in turn, sell to bandits to perpetuate their evil acts.’’

The governor said also that Zamfara government would prosecute any politician caught in the act.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Zamfara had cut off food, petroleum products supply and other essential commodities from the reach of the bandits in their various camps.