Matawalle reveals his government has secured release of over 1,000 captives without ransom
- About 1000 captives have been released without payment of any ransom, Governor Matawalle has revealed
- Also, over 300 sophisticated weapons have been surrendered by bandits in the state
- According to the governor, he is ready to do everything to make Zamfara safe
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
In a news that will draw mixed reactions from Nigerians, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has revealed that his government has done incredibly well to secure the release of kidnapped victims.
The governor claimed that his government has secured the release of more than 1,000 people from kidnappers.
Matawalle who disclosed this on Channels Television said the victims were released without paying a ransom.
He said:
“We have also secured the release of 1,000 captives without paying any ransom. We equally received over 300 sophisticated weapons surrendered by bandits and their leaders.”
Going further, he said he would always do everything to make Zamfara state safe. He also argued that dialogue with bandits and criminals will make the country safer.
Source: Twitter
He added:
“To me, as a leader, I cannot fold my arms seeing my people killed every day. I have to initiate anything I know I can to be able to make my people sleep with their both eyes closed,” the governor who had served as a commissioner in the state between 1999 and 2003, noted.
“That’s why I have to initiate that dialoguing with these people. And I believe that by the time all governors come together and agree on doing so, we can be able to secure our country.”
Recall Legit.ng had reported that Matawalle claimed the students abducted by bandits are being held around Birnin Gwari in Kaduna state.
Matawalle stated that the success in Nigeria’s fight against criminality depended largely on the cooperation from stakeholders in the country.
He urged stakeholders to be more committed to proffering solutions to the two major problems of insecurity in the north, which he identified as banditry and Boko Haram insurgency.
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Legit.ng had also reported that the Nigerian government said there is nothing wrong with dialoguing with bandits.
The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, made the statement on a radio programme monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, February 21, in Lagos.
He stated that the government was not opposed to people having a dialogue with bandits so long as the intention was right and the ultimate objective was peace.
---
Aanu Adegun is a politics and current affairs content editor at Legit.ng with over 7 years of experience in both digital and traditional media. A graduate of English Studies from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state, Aanu started his journalism career as a features writer. Aanu, who is also a creative writer has written books and children magazines. He once anchored some specialised pages of a national newspaper. Aanu is also a satirist.
Source: Legit.ng
