The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has revealed how he facilitated the release of the abducted Schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State, who were moved to a forest in Zamfara State, without paying any ransom,
In an interview on Thursday night, Governor Matawalle said that he used repentant bandits, and the Leadership of Miyetti Allah, to identify the syndicate that led the abduction, and then started the negotiation process.
His words: “When we established contact with them, I persuaded them to release them unharmed. And so they did tonight. This is not the first time we facilitated the release of our people, without payment of ransom.
“Ask anybody, we do not pay bandits a dime. What we do is to extend olive branch to them, because they also want to live in peace.
“As I speak to you, they are on their way to Tsafe, from where they will come to Gusau and sleep. They will begin their journey to Katsina tomorrow (today) morning.”
On the belief that Boko Haram was behind the abduction, he said that bandits, not Boko Haram, executed the abduction.
“Nothing like Boko Haram in this. The bandits did it”, Governor Matawalle stated.
He noted that dialogue is the solution to banditry in the North, saying that: “If all the Governors will sit to address this problem by adopting dialogue, banditry will reduce to the barest minimum.”
On why banditry flourishes despite Military operations, Governor Matawalle identified political interference as the factor.
“I can tell you Security Agents are really trying. When you remove political interference from their operations, you can get the results”, he concluded.
More news later…
