Former Chairman of the Committee on Prosecution of Bandits and Related Offenses in Zamfara, Sani Shinkafi, says banditry is an organised crime involving traditional rulers, security agents, drug dealers and doctors.
Shinkafi also claimed that bandits in Zamfara State were better equipped with sophisticated weapons than the military and the police put together.
The security expert revealed this during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily.
According to him, banditry had become a criminal enterprise in the state with over 400 villages in Zamfara being in the control of bandits.
Shinkafi attributed the cause in parts to the weak border control between Zamfara and neighbouring states which made it easy for bandits to commit crimes in one state and then flee to another.
He faulted call by former Governor Ahmad Yarima for dialogue with the bandits, saying it was tried before and failed.
“Banditry has turned to a criminal enterprise so and it is very difficult to put an end to it in shortest period of time.
“The problem we are having now, more than 400 villages are under bandits in Zamfara State and the problem is we have weak border control. Like where I come from in Shinkafi local government, we share border with Niger Republic, Sokoto and Katsina states, so it is very easy for bandits to commit crime in Zamfara and fly to Sokoto, Katsina or Niger.
“So it’s a criminal enterprise a lot of people are into. Traditional rulers, security agents, drug dealers, doctors are involved, that is why we call it organised criminal enterprise.
“That’s why if you look at the banditry, they have no ideology to promote but they turned it to an economic drive gang of criminals.
“The good people of North West especially Zamfara were calling on the president to save us because from Gusau to Dansadau, Gusau to Sokoto, Gusau to Shinkafi are death zones.
“What I am saying is there is a need for the new service chiefs to change the narratives and they need to be be equipped because the armed bandits in Zamfara State have more sophisticated weapons than the Nigerian military, police put together in Zamfara.
“Yarima’s call for dialogue with the bandits is misplaced of priority. I am telling because former Governor Bello Matawalle has tried that, so I have seen no reason for calling for dialogue because these bandits are not sincere,” he said.
-Daily Trust
