Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has revealed that his administration will never consider negotiating with bandits.
He stated that the Zamfara State Government is not in any rush to strike a deal with the militants in order to restore peace to the state.
The governor also debunked reports of kidnappings by bandits in the Maradun Local Government Area of the state.
Reports had emerged that gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village, with the State Police Command allegedly stating that more operatives had been deployed to the area.
However, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lawal described the news as false and inaccurate.
“I am not aware of that incident. I am here in Zamfara State, and I haven’t heard about that incident,” he said.
“I am not aware that 50 people were kidnapped in Maradun Local Government. Whoever gave you that information, it’s not correct.”
According to Lawal, the North-Western state has not recorded any kidnapping incidents in the last six months.
“There may be pockets of kidnapping here and there, but I can’t rule that out. These and all the measures put in place are not what they used to be in the past. In the past, hardly a day went by without hearing that 300 people were being killed.
“Within the last six months, I don’t think there has been any such incident reported in Zamfara State. Insecurity is still there, but we are making conscious efforts to handle it to the best of our ability,” he said.