Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, on Tuesday, met with President Bola Tinubu over the seeming spike in banditry and related criminal activities in Zamfara.
The meeting was described as “closed-door” in a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, who, however, disclosed that Lawal briefed President Tinubu on the security situation in Zamfara, particularly the resurgence in attacks in parts of the state.
According to the statement made available to The Guardian, Governor Lawal and President Tinubu discussed various strategies and measures to tackle the security situation in Zamfara, including enhanced security personnel deployment, intelligence gathering, and community engagement measures.
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 crime in the state.
Idris stated that during the meeting, Lawal told Tinubu that, over the past 13 years, Zamfara State has remained the hub of banditry in Nigeria’s North-West region.
He therefore appealed to the Nigerian president for presidential intervention in providing the military with adequate personnel, weapons and logistics to combat the banditry and other criminal activities in Zamfara. Lawal also requested for sufficient air support to assist ground troops.
The statement added that Tinubu assured Lawal of his commitment to providing all essential support and logistics to security forces to guarantee the restoration of peace in Zamfara.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his administration’s position against negotiating with bandits and payment of ransom to kidnappers.
