It will be disastrous if I don’t seek peace with bandits, kidnappers – Gov. Matawalle

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle has opined that it would have been very disastrous if his government refused to negotiate with bandits, saying that he has no regrets negotiating with bandits and notorious kidnappers in the state.

This was contained in a press statement on Sunday signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Alhaji Zailani Baffa, who quoted Governor Bello Matawalle as saying that

“It is the best option to a lasting peace. Reconciliation with the bandits is still the best option.”

“Matawalle applied the peace accord as a means of honest solution to the of constant banditry and kidnappings problems in Zamfara State and the peace accord has yielded tremendous result that has never been experienced in the last one year,” he said.

The Governor’s spokesman observed that despite the heavy presence of the military and relentless offensives against the bandits, the wanton killings and maiming by bandits were still increasing.

“However, our honesty and focus on the reconciliation deal saw the near total drop in bandit attacks which allowed our roads, markets, schools and farms to be reopened, ” he said.

Zailani noted that as a result of the reconciliation with the bandits by his administration, over one thousand persons were released by the ex-bandits and weapons willingly surrendered.