Lingering Insecurity: Declare State of Emergency on Zamfara, State APC Tells FG

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the state considering the lingering security challenges.
This was contained in a statement issued in Gusau, the state capital by the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Yusuf Idris.
Idris said: “We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to enforce a state of emergency in the state over insecurity.

“People of Zamfara State have lost confidence in the ability of the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal to deal with the security situation in the state.
“The Zamfara APC chapter commended the ongoing onslaught on bandits and terrorists in the state by the military in the North-western states under the coordination and supervision of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.”

According to Idris, the ongoing military operations in the North-west as directed by President Tinubu are certainly yielding unpredictable unprecedented results.
He added: “Bandits’ leaders and their gangs have been subdued by the current development of the federal government’s fight against banditry.
“This is very impressive and needs to be sustained at all costs so that the region will be free from all forms of criminality.

“As a party, we observe with dismay how the Zamfara State government is trying to sabotage the ongoing onslaught through his media campaigns.
“This is to distract the effort of the federal government under the coordination of the Minister of State for Defence.
“We have observed that Lawal as the governor of the state has never in any way supported the military operations in the state in terms of logistics,” he added.

Idris recalled that the military had recently warned him to steer clear from their activities and efforts.
“Governor Lawal is now bent on distracting the operation through media campaigns and propaganda.
”This is just as he is toying with the security of lives and properties of innocent Zamfara citizens for his political gains,” he opined.

The publicity scribe said that calling on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on Zamfara was necessary so as to spoil the ‘mischievous plan’.
Idris said: “This need is highly desirable so that the operation can go unhindered and the security operatives can go into the state without the governor and government of Zamfara politicising the manhunt.

“This is as the state governor, Lawal, has already begun by portraying himself as if he’s the sole sponsor of the operation, for which he has no hand.
“Since he took over the mantle of leadership in the state as governor in May last year, Lawal has vehemently nurtured attacks on his predecessor, Matawalle.
“This included direct affront on the minister’s property and baseless accusations, which always fell on deaf ears.

“On many occasions, Matawalle had offered himself both as Minister of State for Defence and as a citizen of Zamfara to partner with the governor in fighting the bandits.”
“The president, concerned by the general outcry, directed Matawalle to lead the Defence Headquarters with the CDS to embark on full operation in fight against insecurity in the North-west.

“The minister and his fighters had effectively carried out the onerous task, decimating the criminals, their leaders and camps.
“They have been receiving accolades from all over the world except from Governor Lawal and his team who are not happy with the onslaught being handled by Matawalle.

“The governor is now, as usual, turned to politicising and indirectly fighting Matawalle.”
This, Idris claimed, was by revisiting his earlier accusations that Matawalle had embezzled Zamfara’s money.
According to him, Lawal has been claiming that Matawalle left nothing for his administration.