Zamfara state Governor has offered armed bandits in the state two cows in exchange of each AK47 rifle surrendered

Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed says there is need for security forces to concentrate efforts in the state, being the epicenter of banditry in Nigeria.

He said this while hosting the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu in Gusau the Zamfara State capital.

The governor explained that he chose to offer cows because the bandits need the cows to advance their economic interests.

“For every rifle submitted by a repentant bandit, there would be compensation of two cows. We don’t want to give them money, so they wouldn’t use the money to purchase new weapons,” he said.

“We said we will compensate them with cows, they need the cows to advance their economic interest.

“We also told the repentant bandits that all “Dabas” (Camps) in the forests should be disbanded. We won’t accept a situation where the bandits will disarm and then go back to the  forest and be staying in these camps or Dabas

“We asked them to either come to town and be reintegrated into the society or be given economic empowerment where they are, so that they would start a new life.

“Most of them are residing in forests under the shades of trees and inside caves. That is why we came up with RUGA policy to help them.”

The governor suggests a coordinated approach by security operatives in the ongoing war against banditry.

He wants them to block the bandits’ routes and restrict them from moving from one state to the other.

He calls on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General, Mohammed Adamu, to initiate a sincere dialogue with the bandits.

He believes it is one of the solutions to the security crisis in the country.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu says, they are in Zamfara State at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is concerned about the prevailing insecurity being faced in the country.

He also says he is in the state to rub minds with stakeholders on information sharing, which will assist security operatives locate the routes by which arms are brought into the state.

Inspector General Mohammed Adamu is accompanied by the Director General, Department of State Services, DSS, the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufai and some senior police officers.