Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), on Monday, said it has concluded plans to unravel perennial causes of conflicts in Zamfara State.
The acting Director-General of IPCR, Bakut Tswah Bakut, who spoke in Abuja on the security situation in the state, said the IPCR will dispatch a team of researchers to the state.
“The institute will on Thursday mobilise a team of researchers to the three senatorial zones of Zamfara to ascertain the current causes and dynamics of the conflicts and proffer solutions that will bring lasting peace back to the area,” Bakut said.
Bakut, who said investigation by the IPCR pointed at citizens in most of the affected areas in the state as living in fear. The team of researchers, he further said, will meet with the state and local officials, security agencies and other stakeholders in a bid to obtain data that will enable IPCR to restore normalcy in the state.
He also said the outcome of the research will be shared with various stakeholders, especially the federal and state governments, security agencies and development partners for more proactive interventions.
“We also realised the large unsecured space and forest in the state, as well as the porous borders. Our findings will therefore try to reach all the agencies associated with the security and border control to enable our citizens enjoy the peace,” Bakut declared.
Chairman of IPCR Governing Council, Sen. Muhammed Abba-Aji, said though there were conflicts in other parts of the country, especially in the Middle Belt, the IPCR chose Zamfara because the conflict is controversial.
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He added that the institute will soon intervene on insecurity in other parts of Nigeria.
“Indeed, we will soon be adequately interfacing with federal and state governments on this and other insecurity issues in other parts of the country in order to effectively deal with insecurity,” Abba-Aji said.