Negotiations with bandits: We have evidence to implicate you – Gov Dauda knocks FG
On Tuesday, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal stated that he has enough data to reveal the Federal Government operatives behind the secret negotiations with criminals.
Lawal was responding to a recent speech by Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, in which he accused the Zamfara State Government of politicizing security.
The Zamfara Governor indicated in a statement signed by Sulaiman Bala Idris, his Senior Special Assistant on Media, that the State Government holds strong evidence exposing some Federal Government agents engaging in negotiations with bandits in Zamfara.
He went on to say that the Minister of Information should have done a thorough investigation before casting aspersions on the State Government.
The statement added:
“We sought clarification from the Federal Government regarding the sneaky negotiations with bandits carried out by some of its agents without recourse to the State Government and heads of Security agencies in the State.
“We have facts and evidence on what had transpired between these agents of the Federal Government and the bandits during the negotiations in several places across Zamfara.
“It is disappointing that the information minister discredited our claim without verifying it first. What is expected of him as a professional is to collaborate with relevant authorities to substantiate the claim’s authenticity.
“Zamfara State Government respects protocol and established authority. We would not come out in the media to start exposing the names of the Federal Government agents involved in the covert dialogue with bandits.
“We want to clarify that those individuals leading secret negotiations with bandits in Zamfara are politicising insecurity, not the State Government.
“The Information Minister’s statement claiming that there were no negotiations between government officials and bandits in Zamfara requires further clarification. We have already exposed a few locations where such talks were held with bandits, such as Birnin Magaji, Maradun, Mun Haye, Ajah, Bawo, and Bagege.
“Negotiating with bandits in Zamfara is a grave mistake we cannot afford to make. It is not the solution to the problem and only encourages and emboldens the criminals. We urge the Federal Government to take a firm stance against such activities and investigate the motives of those who engage in them.”