Bandits Kill 2,619, Abduct 1, 190 Persons In Zamfara – Official

Authorities in Zamfara State have revealed that not less than 2,619 persons have been killed in various attacks by bandits in the state.

The State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, disclosed that the deaths were recorded in the state between 2011 and 2019.

The Commissioner said this on Friday while addressing a press conference in Kaduna State, adding that the bandits also abducted 1,190 people from various part of the state in the last eight years.

Dosara also noted that over 100,000 people were displaced from their ancestral homes due to the bandits’ activities, while 14,378 livestock were rustled within the period.

He added that Zamfara State government has spent the sum of N970 million on payment of ransom to bandits to secure the release of the kidnapped victims since 2011.

The state lamented that there were more than 100 different camps and over 30,000 bandits operating across the Zamfara State and its environment.

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The Commissioner said that the amnesty programme of the government for bandits would continue in its efforts to secure the people of the state.

Dosara added that Zamfara lacked enough security forces from the Federal Government to secure the lives and properties of the people in the state.

Despite the challenges, he believes the attacks by bandits in Zamfara have been reduced drastically since the inception of the administration of Governor Bello Matawalle in 2019.

He said the government has put practicable measures in place, such as the peace and reconciliation process and the amnesty programme, to tackle the security challenges battling the state.

He added that through the dialogue and peace process initiated by the government, over 62 bandits have so far surrendered their arms, adding that this has led to the release of over 2,000 victims of kidnapping.

Zamfara Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara

Giving the background of the genesis of rural banditry in the state, Dosara said it started with a conflict between Fulani and Hausa communities in the state.

He denounced the recent uprising in occasional attacks and kidnappings in some part of the state were being masterminded by some conflict enterprise and informants, who make alliance with the recalcitrant bandits to commit heinous acts.