Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Thursday threw his weights behind the call on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on the state.
Yari, addressing newsmen at a press briefing in Gusau, said, “I am also in support of the declaration of the state of emergency if it will save the lives of people of the state.”
He warned politicians against politicising the disturbing security situation in the state.
“We are talking about the lives of our people and this needs the coming together of all, so that the crisis can end.
“If the provisions of my office had allowed me to carry arms against the bandits, l would have done so.
“But, if I am not around, there are capable hands that collaborate with the security team in the fight against the bandits.
“The security men are doing their best.
“But, it is sad to know that some of the people involved in the kidnappings are close relatives or associates of the victims, which is part of the reasons the problem is persisting.
“We must all come together and expose anyone or group that is part of these hoodlums, and we should also pray for Allah’s intervention,” Yari said.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that bandits had continued to elude security measures put in place by both the State and Federal Governments.
Meanwhile, Governor Yari has blamed the continued killings in the state on informants who support the bandits and kidnappers.
Yari stated this at a press conference in Gusau on Thursday, urging the people of the state to support the government in tackling the situation.
He said that both state and federal governments, as well as security agencies, had been making efforts to address the situation.
He lamented that informants had made it difficult for security agencies in the state to operate effectively.
The governor said that most of the bandits and kidnappers received information from people in the state, which he said was “unfortunate”.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari was doing his best to end the situation and had deployed more security personnel to the state.
“Before Buhari’s administration, we had a few security personnel in this state, but today we have about 4,000 security personnel including Army, Police and Civil Defence.
“I held a meeting earlier today with traditional rulers and local government council chairmen. We are working hand in hand with all stakeholders to ensure that we end this situation,” he said.
He urged the people of the state to stop blaming the government for security challenges.
“I am calling on communities to always support security agencies with information on suspicious movement in their respective areas,” he said.
NAN
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