The security crisis in Zamfara State may soon escalate after the state governor, Dauda Lawal, secretly met bandit leaders, in a repeat of a strategy that analysts had dismissed as dangerously ineffective and capable of enabling the terrorists to regroup and escalate attacks on Nigerians.
Governor Lawal reportedly hosted the bandit leaders at Command Guest House in Gusau, the state capital, on Sunday.
A source privy to the meeting named the bandits who met the governor as Wadalle, Ardo Nashawari, Na’eka and others led by Alhaji Tukur, the state chairman Miyyeti Allah, and some members of the Fulani community in the state.
The source, who craved anonymity because of the security sensitivity of the issue, explained that “the meeting was held under the guise of reconciliation and was at the behest of and under the instructions of the government of Zamfara State.“
He added, “Some of the bandits were escorted to the meeting venue by members of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards dressed in military uniform,” the source revealed. A security analyst in Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmed Bakare, had some weeks ago, said the security challenges in the area “involve some powerful individuals in Nigeria,” saying that there have been mention of “some powerful individuals in Zamfara State, who are using their mining sites to influence the bandits ravaging the entire state.”
Another analyst, who crave anonymity, said “These bandits are playing games with the governor because, each time the military or federal might goes after them, they appear with the gimmick of negotiating amnesty or ceasefire only to disappear with the funds made from the supposed peace initiative and use it to re-arm themselves.
He said, “A thorough analysis will show that the Governor’s approach is faulty and shows that he only cares when the bandits seem to be threatening his gold mining business.”
The governor’s meeting with the bandits have reportedly increased the despondency among residents of the state. The security experts said “residents are of the view that each time such meetings held they had led to more loss of lives and destruction of property and that from every indication people no longer have confidence that the governor can bring about lasting peace because the bandits have reportedly shown that they are part of his government.
“People find it unconscionable that the bandits met with the governor and were able to return into the forests without consequences and that same had happened in the past with bandits even getting chieftaincy titles that were followed with more killing of innocent citizens,” he revealed.
