A former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has urged security agencies to take immediate action against the rising armed banditry in the state. Shinkafi, who is also a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, emphasized the need for military personnel to work in synergy with the state government to combat the escalating insecurity.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, had recently warned that commanders who give excuses for not receiving orders from Abuja would be court-martialed. Shinkafi cited this statement, stressing that security agencies should not wait for orders from the capital before taking action. He noted that the military has a constitutional mandate to protect lives and property, as stated in Section 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution.
The security situation in Zamfara State has been dire, with armed bandits killing, wounding, abducting, and displacing residents from their ancestral homes. Shinkafi pointed out that the state government, under Governor Dauda Lawal, has procured advanced technology, including environmental remote sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS), to track the activities of bandits. However, security agencies have not responded quickly to intelligence reports, nor have they acted promptly to crush attacks and save lives and property.
Shinkafi expressed concern that the politicization of the security situation in Zamfara State by influenced politicians in Abuja is exacerbating the problem. He reminded President Bola Tinubu that the security of lives and the welfare of the people should be the primary purpose of any government. The former governorship candidate urged the president to intervene and ensure public safety and order in the state, in accordance with his Renewed Hope Agenda.
Shinkafi estimated that the number of bandits in the state is not more than 20,000, spread across 14 local government areas, and that they can be flushed out within two months if there is collaboration between the military and the state government. He emphasized that the Nigerian military and other paramilitary personnel are well-trained and equipped, having demonstrated their capabilities in various peacekeeping operations around the world. The lack of political will to crush the bandits is the major obstacle to ending the insecurity in Zamfara State, according to Shinkafi.
