From Maiharaji Altine
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state said he still maintained his stand on non negotiation with bandits, stressing that he would fight bandits until they surrender.
The Governor was reacting to a sermon delivered by a prominent scholar in the state Sheikh Ahmed Umar Kanoma who advised the government to once again try the reconciliation process for peace to reign in the state on Friday.
Sheikh Kanoma advised the state government to once again invite all the bandits’ leaders and sit with them to find a lasting solution to banditry activities in the state.
Lawal said, there was no reason why he should reconcile with people that did not keep to their promise or value human lives.
He said, “I still maintain my stand on non negotiation with bandits as I announced earlier on”.
“How can you reconcile with somebody who goes out to kill and kidnap people just for the sake of money”?
“How many times did the past administrations reconcile with the bandits? Did that work?
Governor Lawal however stated that, if the bandits wanted reconciliation, they should come out of the forest and surrender their weapons.
“If they want reconciliation, let them surrender their weapons and come out for negotiation”.
“If they have not done so, I will pursue them and fight them until they give up”.
“I repeat, there is no reconciliation with somebody who does not value lives”.
The Governor used the occasion to appeal to politicians to stop playing politics with security which he described as an evil wind that would blow anybody any good.
“I am calling on the people of the state particularly the politicians to stop playing politics with security”.
“I want to make passionate appeal to all the former Governors of the state to please come out and join hands with my administration so that we can rescue our state which have been groping in the dark due to security challenges”.
Dauda Lawal urged the people of the state to continue praying for peace to return to the state.
