General

Banditry: Gov. Matawalle advocates N/West security committee

Published

July 7, 2020

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara on Tuesday advocated for a NorthWest Security and Peace Committee to address the security challenges of the region.

Matawalle made the call in Gusau while presenting 200 new operational vehicles to various security agencies in the state.

“I recently wrote to Mr President to offer our suggestion on the need to form a North West Security and Peace Committee to effectively handle the intractable security challenges bedevilling the sub-region over the years,” he said.

The governor said the need for the regional security committee was informed by his state experience within the last one year of peacebuilding through dialogue and reconciliation.

“The need for the committee is underscored by the fact that the Northwestern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina as well as Kaduna and Niger in the North-central share common borders and have forested areas sprawling across these borders.

“This allows for free interstate movements of bandits and causing damage to people’s lives and properties.

“The setbacks suffered by our peace process, which was gaining traction, is partly a result of this interstate movement of bandits.

“It is only through a united approach by all the affected states that we can effectively root out banditry in the subregion,” Matawalle said.

The governor announced plans to organize a joint security collaboration with the neighboring states of Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, and Katsina in order to block the existing porous borders so as to impede infiltration of miscreants or armed bandits into the state.

The Newsmen reports that the 200 new vehicles fully fitted with communication gadgets were presented to the Lt-Gen. Tukur Burutai, the Chief of Army Staff (COAD).

Burutai was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, Maj.-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo.

The COAS thanked the governor for providing the vehicles, saying they will facilitate the fight against crime in the state.

NAN also reports that the vehicles would be distributed to the Nigeria Police, Army, Air Force, Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Correctional Service.

Others include the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Joint Task Force of Operation Hadarin Daji, Hisbah Commission, Zamfara Road Traffic Agency (ZAROTA) and EFCC Sokoto Zone.