In Zamfara State, the hot spot of banditry in Northern Nigeria, bulldozers are now eating the assets of those supplying arms and information to bandits.
The directive to level their buildings comes from the state Governor, Muhammad Bello Matawalle. He ordered security agencies to be demolishing the houses of informants and those supplying arms to bandits in the state.
The governor’s Director-General on Media, Yusuf Idris, in a statement said his principal’s order was with immediate effect
Governor Matawalle issued the order when Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State paid him a sympathy visit over recent bandits attacks on some communities in Zamfara, which left many people dead and several others displaced.
He said serious punitive measures would henceforth be taken including the demolition of any house where informants, weapons suppliers, and others aiding banditry activities are arrested in the state.
He said the action became necessary in order to fully address the resurgence of banditry in some parts of the state.
According to him, many people who are living mostly in the cities are providing information to bandits in the bushes.
“The activities of the informants are creating a lot of problems in the ongoing fight against banditry in the state,” he noted and called for the active support of citizens in order to win the fight.
The governor also directed traditional rulers in the state to be vigilant and monitor activities of landlords and tenants in their domain.
He said that this would help security agents to track and arrest suspicious persons before they wreck havoc on innocent citizens.
Earlier, Tambuwal said he was in Zamfara to commiserate with the government and people over the recent killing of innocent souls in some parts of the state.
He described the attack as devastating, tragic and aserious calamity.
The governor prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died in the attack.
He commended Matawalle for his handling of the security challenges in the state, which had led to the decline in attacks and the killing of residents.
