Treat bandits as terrorists, former Zamfara Commissioner urges FG

Former Commissioner for Commerce, in Zamfara State, Ahmad Maradun, has urged the federal government to treat armed bandits that have made life unbearable for Zamfara citizens as terrorists.

He said the act of criminality perpetrated by the bandits was equalled that of the terrorists and wonder why they should be regarded as bandits.

He lauded the call for the state of emergency in the region by the governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Bello Matawale but stressed that each state bore its own insecurity peculiarity and this must be sorted by the individual states as against a blanket measure on the entire region.

He noted that the major challenge was that the two ideologies, held by the governors. While Zamfara, was disposed to talks to solve the problem, other states in the area are not given to talks but the military option, he called for a moderator in the frame of the federal government to ease the security challenges.

Maradun said such intervention could create a uniform approach of either military action or peaceful persuasion to the bandits for repentance.

Maradun was a guest, on Channels TV, on a Monday morning programme, where he said terrorists try to convince people while bandits are ruthless.

His words: “I want to believe that it is a step forward for Governor, Bello Matawale, to call for a state of emergency because this is a governor that has been in perpetual denial of the reality we are faced with here.

“Now that they have agreed that the situation has reached a state of emergency, it is the right step forward.

“However, I have some reservations, why call for a declaration of the state of emergency for the whole Northern state of Nigeria?” He asked.

“It is not all the states in Northern Nigeria, that are facing the problem that we are facing here in Zamfara State.

“I think, His Excellency should speak for his state and government and allow other governors to speak on their own state.

“Whether they are called herders, bandits or terrorists has their implications. Agreed there is a history of these but it is no longer a farmer herders clash. It is pure criminality.

“Whether they are terrorists or not, we need them flushed out of our land. To call them terrorists is the only way the federal government will come and intervene and flush them out.

“What are the terrorists doing that they are not doing? The only difference between them and terrorists is that the terrorists promote certain ideologies or religions falsely. Of course, falsely.

“As far as killing, kidnapping and rape are concerned, these people are worst off. When the terrorist come, sometimes they try to convince you of their ideology but this one, they will come and start killing, kidnapping for ransom.

“They are worst than the terrorist, let them be flushed out, that is what we want,” he said.

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