Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has met with President Bola Tinubu behind closed-doors over the increased activities of bandits in the state.
A statement by the spokesperson to the governor, Sulaiman Idris, on Tuesday, said Mr Lawal briefed the president on the resurgence of attacks in some areas of the state.
According to the statement, the duo discussed various strategies and measures to tackle the insecurity, including enhanced security deployment, intelligence gathering, and community engagement programmes.
The meeting also highlighted the need to address the root causes of the problem, such as poverty and unemployment, which have contributed to the rise in the crime.
Speaking to state house correspondents after the meeting, Mr Lawal said the state is now the centre of banditry.
He said that if urgent steps were not taken, it would be difficult to solve the situation in northern Nigeria.
“There have been several attacks in some of the local government communities. I feel, as a responsible governor, I should make this known to Mr. President, who is pleased with the discussion we had and we are looking for more military personnel as well as the equipment for them to be able to function effectively and take care of the security situation.
“Zamfara has become the centre of banditry as we speak today, and if nothing is done in Zamfara state, I don’t think we will be able to solve the situation in the entire northern Nigeria,” the governor said.
Mr Lawal also confirmed that the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren and a few other victims of banditry were rescued in Zamfara, saying the situation has spurred the state to be more proactive in changing the narratives.
“Most of the guys or the girls kidnapped in Kaduna State ended up in Zamfara State; that is not good for us, and therefore we’re doing everything to change the narratives, and that is one of the reasons I came to see the president today,” he said.
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