Gov. Yari Replies Critics Over Security Expenditure

Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state said he had actually spent over N13 billion on security to contain challenges faced by communities in the state.

He made the clarification when he received the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq who paid him a courtesy visit in Gusau on Thursday.

The Federal Commissioner was in the state to present relief materials donated by the Federal Government to Internally Displaced Persons (IPDs).

The governor, who, was reacting to critics on his request to federal government to refund the state government the sum of N13 billion it spent in fighting crime in the state in the last five years.

The governor said, “People should learn to respect their leaders and what the leaders say and ask for clarification on what they do not know.”

He said armed bandits, cattle rustlers and kidnappers had caused lots of damages to people’s lives and property during the period until the state government made frantic efforts to contain the situation.

He further explained that the state government constituted a committee which was chaired by the Deputy Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Wakkala pointing out that the committee negotiated with the bandits.

This, he said, resulted in many of them renouncing the criminal act and surrendering their weapons.

He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to refund the money to the state government.

Recall that Gov. Yari first requested for the refund of the money when the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Dan-Ali came to the state on an official visit in March.