Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, on Tuesday met with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu over the seeming spike in banditry and related criminal activities in Zamfara State.
The meeting, described as “close door” in statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, that the Lawal briefed the President on the security situation in Zamfara, particularly the resurgence in attacks in parts of the state.
According to the statement, President Tinubu and the governor discussed various strategies and measures to tackle the insecurity, including enhanced security personnel deployment, intelligence gathering, and community engagement measures.
According to the statement, the meeting also highlighted the need to address the root causes of the problem, such as poverty and unemployment, which have contributed to the rise in crime in the state.
“During the close door meeting, Governor Lawal told the President that, over the past 13 years, Zamfara State has remained the hub of banditry in North-West.
“The Governor appealed to President Tinubu for presidential intervention in providing the military with adequate personnel, weapons and logistics as they are insufficient in Zamfara. He also requested sufficient air support to assist ground troops.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assured the governor of his commitment to providing all essential support and logistics to the security forces to guarantee the restoration of peace in Zamfara.
“Furthermore, the President reaffirmed his administration’s position against negotiating with bandits and paying ransoms to kidnappers.”