Repentant commanders of armed bandits in Zamfara had met in forest and reviewed the peace deal initiated by Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle in June last year, the state commissioner of police Mr Usman Nagogo has said.

Nagogo who was speaking on the achievements recorded after the peace pact was struck 7 months ago said some of the top leaders of the repentant bandits identified as Muhammadu Bello and Halilu and many of the leaders among them had met in the forest and vowed to decisively deal with any recalcitrant armed men among them.

The meeting had in attendance heads of security agencies, leaders of repentant bandits, state commissioner of Security and Home Affairs Alhaji Abubakar Dauran and many other stakeholders.

“The repentant bandits had earlier informed the security operatives about their meeting in the forest and told us that people should not panic if they they see their movements along the line, there is no cause for alarm and in that meeting they pledged their total support for the peace cause”

“Let me give you an example, a repentant bandit, on January 1, killed a suspected kidnapper in Munhaye community in Tsafe local government. The repentant bandits recovered a rifle from the slain suspected kidnapper and submitted it to the Divisional Police officer in Tsafe local government area”

“Even after that, specifically on January 4, one of the repentant bandits submitted seven AK47 rifles at the palace of Emir of Shinkafi. He called me aside and gave me weapons and promised to help boost security in the state. The Yan Sakai themselves, surrendered over 500 locally fabricated weapons as part of the agreement, ” Nagogo added.

The state police boss further explained that the release of 500 kidnapped victims was parts of the success story of the peace dialogue and no single shot was fired in the process.

He said the state police command would evolve four strategies including improving efficiency of the personnel, full implementation of community policing, enhancement of operational base and boosting specialized Operating units.

The leader of the bandits in the state had affirmed Mr Usman Nagogo’s narrative and said they had actually met in a forest near Tubali community in Shinkafi local government area of the state with who and who in the forest and vowed to sustain the peace deal and they were planning to step into places where problems or challenges abound, with a view to solving them and there should be no worry about that. (Daily Trust)

Update news