The Zamfara State chapter of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Dauda Lawal of sabotaging the federal government’s efforts to end insecurity in the state.
In a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Yusuf Idris Gusau, the APC said it was shocked that the governor admitted to being aware of the movement of bandits’ kingpins and their gangs but failed to fight them or give intelligence to security agencies.
“As a party, we don’t know why he is harbouring them in the state and continues to allow them to remain, kill and abduct innocent citizens of the state or perhaps because he wants to use them directly or otherwise against his political rivals, especially from the APC,” he said.
APC said the governor exposed his complicity when he told journalists recently that he knows all the bandit camps operating in Zamfara forests and their every movement, yet failed to combat them and ultimately end the menace.
“The chief security officer of the state has consistently refused to take proactive measures against them, but only says that if he had the authority, he’d bring banditry to an end in the state within two weeks.
“Apart from being delusional in having the presidential powers with which to eliminate the carnage, the governor forgot that he has set up as well as armed the state’s community protection guard on who only he has powers and only he can direct them to the bandits hideouts which he knows so that they can go and smoke them out, but no, he would rather play politics by always saying the issue of security is in the hands of the federal government also forgetting that the people accepted him to emerge as governor in 2023, because his campaign slogan and promises centered almost entirely on the fact that he’ll eliminate armed bandits within his first two months in office,” the party added.
APC accused Governor Lawal of failing to partner with the federal government to clear the state of bandits, knowing that doing so would spell doom and end the only weapon he’s using in condemning the APC under Matawalle.
The APC asked, “Has the governor visited or solicited support from the state security critical stakeholders? Since he assumed office, how often has he held security meetings with all stakeholders?”
When contacted for comment, the Director General of Media and Communications, Government House, Gusau, Malam Nuhu Salihu Anka, told our correspondent to wait for some minutes to react adequately, but didn’t get back as at the time of going to press.
