Despite the reservation by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lucky Irabor, Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle have insisted that there is no going back on his directive to the State residents to acquire arms and defend themselves against bandits.
Recall that yesterday, he went a step further by inaugurating four committees to implement all strategies designed by his administration to counter banditry and restore peace to the State.
The committees are Intelligence Gathering on Banditry, Community Protection Guards (CPG), Prosecution of Banditry-Related Offences, and State Security Standing Panel.
The Governor also donated 20 new Toyota Hilux vans as well as 1,500 motorbikes to enable the members to commence operations.
Making a veiled reference to Irabor’s opposition to his order, the governor said that as a government that swore to an oath to protect its citizens, ”we will do everything possible to uphold this responsibility within the ambit of the law”.
In an issued press statement by his Press Secretary, Jamilu Magaji, the governor said, “We are aware of misgivings expressed in some quarters regarding the new measures, particularly the decision to encourage members of the communities suffering almost daily from the inhumane aggressions of the bandits to acquire firearms to defend their communities”.
He assured that “the acquisition and usage of firearms by members of the general public who desire to do so would be governed by the Nigeria Firearms Act”.
Stating that his administration was not oblivious of the desire of security agencies to contain the activities of bandits, he said: “their efforts are hampered by lack of adequate modern warfare equipment and shortage of personnel”.
Matawalle explained that his government’s decision to “mobilise people to secure their communities is to complement the efforts of the conventional security forces in dealing with banditry and fishing out informants”.
The governor said workable options considered to address banditry and related crimes in the state included dialogue, reconciliation and disarmament, regular engagements with the Federal Government, collaboration with the neighbouring states and the authorities of the Niger Republic and shutting down of mobile telecommunication networks.
He added that his administration had provided a settlement popularly known as RUGA for nomads and logistics for security agencies.
