Gov. Matawalle frets, swears with Quran to deny link with bandits  

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State on Sunday swore with the Quran, denying that he has link or connection to the bandits ravaging Zamfara State and other states in the northwest Nigeria. The Zamfara State governor was opposing stern tough actions to rid the bandits from the northwest states, advocating rewarding systems, including financial and property rewards, for the bandits to lure them to quit the crime. The governor also insisted on amnesty to the bandits, in addition to monetary rewards and gifts of vehicles. These stances of the governor, including his roles in facilitating easy release of kidnapped victims, as well as ransom payment, generated suspicions that Governor Matawalle has strong connection or may be a coordinator of the bandits.

Governor Matawalle, taking the oath to confirm his innocence, on Sunday in Gusau at an event where he received an award from the Centre for Quranic Reciter in Nigeria, as the Khadimul Quran, told residents of Zamfara State to swear with the Quran, declare their innocence and prove they are not collaborating with the bandits to instigate crimes and violence in the state.

A stakeholder in Zamfara State had penultimate week raised alarm that certain political leaders in the state were sponsoring the bandits so as to unseat the governor.

Governor Matawalle, thereafter, declared: “As I’ve been mentioning, the issue of insecurity is not just for Federal Government, governor or other security agencies; the issue of insecurity is for all of us, and we should not politicise the issue of insecurity.

“I have sworn with the Holy Quran that if I know, or if I am part of, or I know anybody who is coordinating this, or with my hand or any of my family, may Allah not give me… (speaking in Arabic) in this life.

“I dare all the people from Zamfara State, from our father, Aliyu Gusau to Yarima Bakura, and all the cabinet members, right from the inception of the political dispensation of the state, to take this oat as I did.”

Governor Matawalle emphasized that getting residents involved in the security process would be helpful to solving the problem of insecurity in the state. He maintained that it would be easy for residents to identify those behind the insecurity and facilitate the restoration of peace in the state. He decried that the present security situation in the state is worrisome, noting that the situation has defied all efforts to contain the crime wave.

Governor Matawalle reassured that as the Chief Security Officer of Zamfara State, he would do everything possible to provide a secured and peaceful environment.

Governor Matawalle assured residents of Zamfara State of the commitment of his administration to contain the lingering security crises in Zamfara and the north-west.