By; ISAAC ODEH, Kaduna
A coalition of Community-Based Organisations in Zamfara State has urged the Zamfara State Government to increase cooperation with the Federal Government in tackling security challenges in the State.
Leader of the coalition who doubles as the Chairman of Zamfara Progressive Movement for Peace and Development (ZAPPDE), Alhaji Adamu Danyaula, made the call on behalf of the group at the end of the advocacy meeting in Sokoto on Saturday, June 8, 2024.
Danyaula appealed to the state government under Governor Dauda Lawal, to urgently review its approaches and collaboration with federal government toward achieving success in the fight against insecurity.
According to him, people in Zamfara state are suffering untold hunger and depression, urging elected leaders at the federal and state levels to fine-tune modalities to end the challenges and stop political bickering which is tearing the people apart.
”We are worried that many people whose means of livelihood depend on farming in our rural areas can no longer go to the farm while the few ones have to pay bandits during planting and harvesting.
”Education in Zamfara is abysmally low, the continued escalating insecurity has further worsened the situation and we all know that education is key to having a progressive society.
”Many communities were displaced. Thousands of people who lost their homes and businesses; are now living in shelters as refugees along with surviving families,” he said.
Danyaula then cautioned the state government on the implications of ignoring the chances of cooperating with federal government, especially the Ministry of Defence in the fight against insecurity and keep political differences aside for the betterment of Zamfarawa.
”To be specific, bandits are now holding many enclaves around Tsafe, Dansadau, Shinkafi, Maru, Bukkuyum, and Zurmi communities.
”Bandits activities are becoming so disturbing around roads linking to Talata Mafara to Mayanci and Bungudu while other suspected bandits have been disturbing roads to Tsafe, Magazu, and Wanzamai, yet Zamfara state government is not ready to sacrifice their ego to cooperate with higher authority” he added.
The Coalition commended President Bola Tinubu’s military operations especially air and ground operations being conducted in many of the enclaves of bandits at Sabon Birni in Sokoto state and Tsafe in Zamfara and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna respectively.
They also applauded the efforts of the Minister of State Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle on his intervention, concern, and additional mobilisation of military support to prone areas of attacks.
“The recent interventions in Tsafe, Magazu, Dansadau, Shinkafi, Isa, Illela and Bukkuyum have yielded much success in crippling bandits movement in Zamfara and Sokoto states,” he added.
