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Zamfara Governor issues fresh warning to bandits, says drop your weapons before it’s too late
Zamfara governor, Dauda Lawal has issued fresh warning to bandits in forest across the state to drop weapons before it becomes late for them.
The governor called for unconditional surrender of weapons, stating that his administration was willing to embrace peace.
Lawal stated this at the unveiling of a new facility that will serve as the headquarters for Operation Safe Corridor in the Northwest region.
In a statement issued by the Spokesman of the Governor, Sulaiman Idris, says “Operation Safe Corridor” was meant to provide a structured exit for repentant bandits through disarmament, de-radicalization, and reintegration into society.
The statement noted that to surrender was a window and an opportunity for repentant to return to normal life, insisting that Lawal’s administration will not succumb to banditry under any guise, even as the administration was committed to crushing bandits, if they continue to remain in criminal activities.
According to him, the initiative follows the success of a similar Operation Safe Corridor program in the Northeast, which successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated former Boko Haram fighters.
“This program will offer vocational training, psychological support, and ideological reorientation for those who choose peace,” the statement read.
Governor Lawal reiterated that his administration is fully backing the federal government’s efforts to restore security in Zamfara.
“For those willing to surrender their arms unconditionally, they are welcome. But for those who refuse, we will continue to take the fight to their enclaves until they are completely eliminated,” he declared.
The governor also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, and Major General EV Onumajuru for supporting the initiative and selecting Zamfara to host the Northwest headquarters of Operation Safe Corridor.
