Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Gusau
A committee set up to find solutions to banditry in Zamfara State has recommended the deposition of five emirs and over 33 district and village heads for their roles in aiding banditry activities.
The committee set up by Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle in July in its recommendations also asked that 10 military officers also found guilty of working for bandits should be court martialed.
Presenting the report to Governor Matawalle at the Government House, Gusau on Friday, the chairman of the committee, and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Alhaji Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar said the emirs and all others recommended for sack or court martial were found guilty in one way or another in aiding and abating banditry in the state.
“One of the Emirs, would be charged to court for alleged culpable homicide and hiding bandits in his domain”, the report said.
The former IGP said the nefarious activities of the Emirs and the security officers who were working with the bandits had led to the death of 6,319 innocent people leaving behind over 20,000 orphans.
He said the committee discovered that 3,672 people were kidnapped while over N3billion was paid as ransom. The committee also recommended the immediate overhauling and restructuring of all the 17 Emirates to make the traditional rulers more vibrant and be able to be responsive to the yearning of their subjects.
The committee called for a N50billion foundation to be financed by the state and federal government to resettle the victims of banditry in the state.
Responding, Governor Matawalle assured that he would look at the report and take appropriate actions.
“Anybody that was found to have been involved in one way or the other in perpetrating, conniving, conspiring, aiding or abetting banditry with all its attendant consequences in the state would be punished in accordance with the provisions of our law”, he promised.