Reports claiming that the federal government is in talks with infamous bandits and other terrorists wreaking havoc in Zamafara State have been refuted by the administration.
According to a report by ProbitasNews, the governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, charged that the FG was secretly holding talks with terrorists in a few local government districts of the state.
The governor requested that the FG elucidate the accusation and look into the acts of certain dishonest individuals undermining the state’s ongoing battle against banditry in a statement released by his media assistant, Sulaiman Idris.
The Zamfara governor should instead recognize the efforts of “security agents and FG institutions to rescue the abducted students of the Federal University Gusau, chose to play politics with the sensitive matter for cheap political goals,” according to Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, in response to the accusations.
Suleiman Haruna, Deputy Director, Press, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, bemoaned the politicization of the security situation in Zamfara State in a statement released on Monday night.
The statement says, “The minister notes that federal government institutions are mandated by law to take swift action, at will or on their own initiative, to guarantee the safe return of people who have been unlawfully taken hostage, such as these unfortunate youngsters.
As the Zamfara State Government cruelly characterized this endeavor, “the fact that details of such delicate operations are not revealed by the institutions responsible does not make it in any way surreptitious.”
For the avoidance of doubt, the minister declares that no federal government representative is negotiating with a bandit or band of bandits.
Nevertheless, the government is unwavering in its determination to investigate every possibility that can result in a reduction of hostilities and restore tranquility to areas devastated by banditry.
However, the federal government would not rush to denounce such a people-driven movement if communities choose to take a cue from what has helped quell unrest in other regions of the nation and engage in conversation.
“The minister gives Nigerians the reassurance that the federal government and its agencies are working tirelessly to reverse the existing circumstances and put an end to the declining incidents of kidnapping, banditry, and other criminal activity.
Politics or personal grudges should not be brought up in the grave context of national security in order to prevent our troops from becoming discouraged or to sabotage government efforts.
Lastly, the minister argues that in order to find a long-term solution to our security issues, the federal government is ready to listen and will keep up its continued interaction with all relevant parties nationwide. We want everyone to join us in raising their hands.
