The Zamfara State Taskforce Committee on Compliance to Governor Bello Matawalle’s Executive Order on insecurity on Wednesday ordered the closure of a filling station and bakery in Gusau and Tsafe local government areas of the state.
Chairmen of Committee, Abubakar Dauran, gave the order shortly after security forces arrested four suspects for alleged supplying bread and petrol to bandits.
Dauran, also the Special Adviser to Matawalle on Security Matters, said that the filling station, located in Tsafe town, Tsafe local government area, would be closed for alleged selling petroleum products to bandits’ collaborators while a bakery in Gusau would be shut down for allegedly supplying bread to bandits.“Both the filling station and bakery house will be closed down immediately,” he said.
According to him, the suspects were arrested after they were monitored and later trailed by the Security forces attached to the Taskforce.
“Some of these suspects were found using Jericans, gallons and generator tanks to buy petroleum from the filling stations and supplying the product to bandits in their hideouts.
“They were arrested carrying petroleum heading to Yanware village of Tsafe LGA, while the suspected bread suppliers were caught illegally using motorcycles to supply bread to some unknown persons, suspected to be bandits”.
ALSO READ: Where and how banditry started in Zamfara
He lamented that in spite of the effort being made by the Governor to provide lasting solution to lingering security challenges in the state,” some unpatriotic citizens are sabotaging the effort.
He said government would enforce the executive order to the letter, warning that violators, when caught, would face the full wrath of the law.
The committee chairman appealed to residents of the state to continue to support government and security agencies with credible information on bandits and their collaborators for appropriate action.
He called on the security agencies to intensify raids on those aiding banditry and kidnapping in the state.
How banditry started in Zamfara
Although there are conflicting accounts of how banditry turned deadly in the state, members of a Committee set up by the state governor seemed to agree it all began in the Dansadau village where the Hausa who, in their quest for farmlands, reportedly indiscriminately encroached into cattle routes and grazing reserves and that triggered friction between them and Fulani residents.
A member of the committee, quoted by the report, narrated that about 19 years ago, a former District Head of Dansadau, Alh. Shafiu Salihu, ignited the problem after he authorized a self-defence outfit called ‘Yan Sakai’ to kill any thief even if it was a goat he stole.
The report went on: “He (committee member) cited an example where a person was discharged and acquitted by a law of court but on getting back to Dansadau, this freedman was killed together with his father.
“This member further informed the committee that, out of brutality and inhumanity of man-to-man, he (victim) was asked to dig the grave where he was eventually killed and buried”. Read more.
