Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state says banditry would become history in his state if he had control over the security outfits in the country.

Governor Lawal said he is aware of the movements of every bandit kingpin operating in the state.

In a viral video clip, the governor explained that his major constraint in the ongoing fight against banditry is the lack of direct control over security agencies.

He emphasized that the security chiefs in the state only take orders from Abuja, lamenting that “We have dozens of tracking facilities which we fixed across the state just to help security in tracking the bandits.

“I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandits’ leader is located within Zamfara state, I know it and if he goes out, I know,

“With my mobile phone, I can show you where and where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers.

“If today, I have the power to give orders to the security agencies, I can assure you, we will end banditry in Zamfara state within two months.

“Most of the time, I shed tears for my people because I can see a problem but because I don’t have control over the security agencies, I cannot order the security operatives to act in time.

“There was a time, the bandits invaded Shinkafi local government and I was sitting here when the security operatives were alerted but they refused to go to Shinkafi simply because they were not given orders from Abuja. This is the problem we are facing but we entrusted God and surely, He will come to our rescue.”

Governor Lawal lamented that despite these challenges, the state government has continued to support security agencies with logistics and running costs, adding that records are available for anyone who wishes to verify.

He further recalled that about two months ago, the Zamfara state government distributed 150 patrol vehicles to the security agencies including police, army, DSS and civil defense with a view to improving their jobs.

The governor added that apart from the thousands of personnel recruited as Community Protection Guards (CPG), his administration had also hired over 2,000 local hunters from Borno and Yobe and brought them into Zamfara to complement the conventional security operatives fighting banditry in the state.

“I am doing all these despite the fact that I have no control over the security agencies. But because it’s my responsibility to protect the lives and properties of the people of Zamfara as the chief security officer of the state.

“I have said it on several occasions that if the bandits are fighting because they lack some basic needs, I will provide them with whatever they lacked; if they are lacking water I will provide them with water, if they are lacking schools, I will build schools for them just to have peace in the state,” he said.

He said that despite the challenges his administration faces in tackling banditry, he would not relent in his efforts to end the menace, while appealing to the people of the state to be patient as the government continues to do all it can to address the problem.

Governor Lawal further lamented that the major problem was the politicisation of the banditry issue in Zamfara State by certain individuals.

“I want to remind those undermining our efforts in the fight against banditry that their actions are destroying the state, not Dauda Lawal as governor.”

Lawal recalled that during the just concluded bye-election a large number of soldiers and other security personnel were deployed to the state with all sorts of war equipment to cover an election that took place in six wards. (Daily Trust)