Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said that he has in his disposal enough facts to expose the agents of the Federal Government behind the secret negotiation with bandits.
Tasking the Federal Government for clarification on the issue, Lawal said reports indicated that a delegation allegedly sent by some agencies of the federal government had been holding talks with bandit groups in Zamfara without his knowledge.
In a statement signed by Sulaiman Bala Idris, his Senior Special Assistant on media, the Zamfara Governor revealed that the State Government possesses hard evidence exposing some Federal Government agents involved in the negotiations with bandits in Zamfara.
“We have facts and evidence on what had transpired between these agents of the Federal Government and the bandits during the negotiations in several places across Zamfara.
“It is disappointing that the information minister discredited our claim without verifying it first. What is expected of him as a professional is to collaborate with relevant authorities to substantiate the claim’s authenticity.
“Negotiating with bandits in Zamfara is a grave mistake we cannot afford to make. It is not the solution to the problem and only encourages and emboldens the criminals.
“We urge the Federal Government to take a firm stance against such activities and investigate the motives of those who engage in them”.
Governor Lawal further called on the federal government to clarify the action of these federal agencies, which is clearly at variance with the state government’s adoption of a kinetic strategy in the fight against banditry.
