Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ayuba Elkana, speaks with ATTAHIRU AHMED GUSAU on how joint security operatives whose operations he is leading have been engaging bandits to free the people of Zamfara from the rampaging terrorists.
Sir, as the Commissioner of Police who is leading other security agencies in the fight against banditry, how would you assess the situation so far?
The situation is quite encouraging. You are a living witness one way or the other. There is no peace across all the bandits’ camps in the bushes, because their chances to continue operating have been quashed due to the incessant assaults by the joint security operatives. The bandits have had no option than to take to their heels and abandon kidnapped victims to escape the formidable and hot pursuit launched by our fiercely trained personnel.
One most important achievement we recorded that people in the state should know is that, abductions, kidnappings, incessant merciless attacks and killings have drastically reduced to the barest minimum. The recent shutdown of telecoms services some months ago immensely discouraged bandits from further abduction of innocent people as they had no means to communicate with the relatives of their victims to demand for ransom. This is in addition to their sufferings of lack of foods at their camps, following our closure of weekly markets in the state, where they normally disguised as innocent people to purchase foodstuffs.
Since you asked for my assessment of the situation so far, our primary duty as police is to ensure the enforcement of law and order, and to adequately maintain peace and tranquility in the society. It is the responsibility of the police to make sure that the society is always x-rayed so that dastardly actions cannot disturb those engaging in legitimate living. When I say dastardly acts, just count it as an example of diseases that penetrate the defence of body mechanism. It is the same thing with crimes, because criminal activities are considered as diseases in the society, therefore, we fight such crimes for peace and tranquility to reign.
What is your reaction to the claims that bandits are still operating in the state?
Banditry is no longer in force as it was when it gained ground in Zamfara State. It is time for recalcitrant bandits to surrender and repent. Time is not on their side. What exactly is happening now is like that of a firewood breathing its final smoke after being quenched; it can squeeze tears out of the eyes close to it for its painful approach, but would not last long as when it was in the fire during cooking. What I mean is that, whatever bandits are doing now is not an attack as usual, but just some struggles to gain access to escape routes through the use of what remains in their hands in terms of weapons to clear the environment.
And this is normal, when a group of criminals were pushed to no escape ground by the aggrieved operatives, their attention would be asking for which route to take for escape in the course of which they would wildly chase any community they might come across. It is for that reason the joint security operatives in the state have now cordoned off all possible exits hoping to continue the assaults on them.
One other important issue was the contribution [pieces of intelligence information] being given by the repentant bandits to the state government and security agencies in fighting the recalcitrant ones. Peace-loving groups of vigilantes are also assisting in achieving the target. We are fast overcoming banditry and other heinous crimes. As I told you, the repentant already know every inch of the bushes, therefore, no bandit’s camp can be carelessly get omitted in the security agencies’ maps planned for the onslaught.
We have made many arrests either during raids and onslaughts on the bandits’ camps or through receipt of credible information on the movements of the bandits as groups or individuals. This has been achieved all with perfect collaboration with repentant bandits. It has now got to the extent that there is no bandits’ camps existing anywhere in the state; they are running away from the state as they have found it difficult to continue staying in a place where they thought was a heaven for them before. For example, the relocation of popular bandits’ leader, ‘Bello Turji’, from his Shinkafi axis camp to another location outside the state is glaring evidence of the ongoing onslaught against them.
We have resolved to redouble our unalloyed commitment and sacrifice so that 2022 can be a prosperous year, where peace and security of the citizenry is guaranteed for social, economic and political growth. Our ability to discharge our duty successfully and maintain the current tempo of peace in the state was due to the support and guides we received on daily basis from our amiable and indefatigable Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba. This has gone a long way in strengthening our operational capacity and professional efficiency.
Similarly, the foresight and the doggedness of the state government, through the unique leadership of the governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Muhammad Matawalle, coupled with the will to succeed, was unparallelled. He has all along drawn close all the security agencies in the state by providing the wherewithal necessary to get to the root cause of banditry in the state.
How is the level of synergy with other sister security agencies?
There has been good working relation with other sister security agencies, perfect understanding and mutrual interactions that led to the successes I have mentioned earlier. We are therefore determined to sustain the existing synergy to enhance the existing relationship among all the security agencies in the state.
Sir, do you have any specific time that you will declare Zamfara bandit-free state?
You know no condition is permanent whether good or bad. Even though, no one can exactly say today or tomorrow will be the end of banditry in Zamfara, but definitely, the menace will soon come to an end, considering the commitments of the state government and security operatives, especially our gallant operatives that are currently frequenting the bushes, and recording successes through firearms recovery, recovery of rustled cows, as well as the unconditional rescue of kidnapped victims.
The continuous rescue of kidnapped victims by our security operative has run into hundreds. That is also enough for one to understand how far it has gone regarding incessant pressure the bandits have been facing from the ongoing operations and it means a lot for just one firearm to be recovered from a dreaded criminal. That means thousands of innocent lives would be safe. And for that matter, large numbers of dangerous weapons have been recovered while many others were voluntarily surrendered by the repented bandits. You see, the power of those remaining recalcitrant would decrease to the extent that the threatening size of their operations is reduced.
The success being achieved so far has shown that the command in collaboration with other sister security agencies is on top of the fight. It also indicates that normal businesses will soon return in the state. In any fight, there is nothing easy. Studies were necessary on the bandits’ locations; the kind of weapons and their sources; how many of them can competitively operate them; who are the suppliers and which routes do they normally follow? All these need to be closely examined before coming up with professionally planned maps that will guide to conquer them either gradually or at once.
You said the bandits are on the run. Does that mean the door for repentance is closed?
No. Doors are still open for bandits to repent; they can still come forward with their hands up. The state government and security agencies will accept their repentance and collect their surrendered weapons. All that is needed is for them to change from bad to good. The general society will embrace them to continue with their normal life. But for those that have chosen to remain terrorists, our gallant operatives will continue denying them peace. My warning for them is to surrender themselves and their weapons; they don’t have a hiding place again. Zamfara is no longer a haven for their heinous crimes.
You see, the terrorists could not hide both in the bushes and in the legitimate society because the onslaughts against them. Our operatives have embarked on operation to comb the forest. That is the main reason bandits are abandoning their camps. On the other hand, the wonderful members of the communities across the state will continue giving the needed cooperation by exposing the fleeing bandits who are seeking for a hiding place in their villages.
In the course of our “Search and Arrest” of bandits, I am calling for communities close to the forest and the unions of commercial drivers to be very vigilant, because there is possibility for the fleeing bandits to disguise as women while trying to escape. So, the commercial drivers should immediately report any woman suspected to be a man in disguise among the passengers to the nearest security establishment or at any security check points.
and then