By Ahmed Attahir Gusau
The Zamfara state government has insisted that dialogue with bandits is still the best option, saying dialogue with them in fighting banditry and other crimes is yielding positive results in the state.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday evening, shortly after the state executive council meeting held at the government House, the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Alhaji Bala Bello Maru said kinetic and non kinetic approach would be maintained to solve issue of banditry in the state.
Maru said in view of the successes recorded in the fight against banditry through the use of dialogue, the state government will keep using the option in its bid to end banditry in the state.
“The state executive council resolved on the use of dialogue as one of the two important approaches in solving the security challenges, kinetic and none kinetic approaches will be maintained to solve banditry in the state.
“We all remember what happened recently when 344 students of Government Secondary School Kankara in Katsina state were kidnapped, dialogue played the superior role in ensuring their return to their families safely,” he said.
The SSG also revealed that the state government is receiving commendations from other state governments due to the dialogue initiative which he described as a needed catalyst to end banditry.
“Just recently the state government received a letter from the Nasarawa state government expressing its appreciation for putting efforts through dialogue to see that Nasarawa state indigenes who were kidnapped got freed without a single Kobo been paid as ransom.
“The state government has resolved to continue to accept repentant bandits as the government feels it is important to bring banditry to an end” he concluded.
