Zamfara: Bandits give conditions for ceasefire
- Bandits in Zamfara have given conditions for laying down their arms; one of them being the halting of extra-judicial killings of Fulani
- The bandits are also demanding that they be allowed to attend local markets without fear or intimidation
- According to the Zamfara CP, the crisis is being fuelled by unlawful executions of suspected criminals
- Vigilantes in the state have expressed readiness to do anything that will ensure that peace returns; but not at their detriment
Bandits in Zamfara have given conditions for laying down their arms; one of them being that extra-judicial killings of Fulani, especially in local markets, should be halted.
The disclosure was made by the state’s commissioner of police, Usman Nagoggo, during a meeting with vigilantes and volunteers popularly known as Yan Sakai on Thursday, June 20, Daily Trust reports.
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Legit.ng gathers that the bandits are also demanding that they be allowed to attend local markets without fear or intimidation.
According to Nagoggo, the armed men had been contacted by authorities, and they gave the assurance that they would stop the carnage in the state, only on conditions.
He said: “Part of the conditions they gave was that the Yan Sakai should halt the extra judicial killings of Fulani, especially in local markets. The bandits said they should be allowed to attend local markets without fear or intimidation.
“That is why we are holding this meeting to intimate you about the new peace road map being designed by the government.
“In a situation whereby a local vigilante will kill one of the bandits and the armed men would slay about 30 persons in retaliation, what is the gain here?”
The CP pointed out that the crisis is being fuelled by unlawful executions of suspected criminals, and implored the vigilante leaders to reach out to their followers and ask them to stop such practice.
The secretary of the Yan Sakai group in the state, Sani Babbar Doka, reacting to the development, stated: “In the peace pact that took place about three years ago, we surrendered our arms as demanded by the government, but the armed criminals did not.
“We are ready for anything that will ensure that peace returns to our communities, but not at the detriment of the opposing group.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the secretary to the Zamfara state government, Professor Abdullahi Walin Shinkafi, gave statistics of the total number of people in the state who lost their lives to the frequent attacks by bandits.
The government's scribe, who made the disclosure in an exclusive interview in his office, said at least 4000 people had been killed and more than 9000 injured in about 500 attacks.
Shinkafi also noted that hundreds of people had been displaced by the bandits, which he said attracted attention of people all over the world who staged peaceful demonstrations with a call to end the heinous crimes against humanity.
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Source: Legit.ng
