The Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, on Tuesday, expressed sadness over the killings of some Community Protection Guards (CPG) operatives by bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area.
A banditry kingpin, Dan Isuhu, and his gang ambushed the guard along the Tsafe highway. According to reports, soldiers and special mobile forces were also injured in the attack.
The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, identified the deceased guards as Nasiru Aliyu, Jabiru Hassan, Abdullahi Dangude, Bashar Bawa, Mu’azu Musa, Anas Dahiru, Anas Yakubu, Lawali Yunusa, and one other.
Describing the attack as a “barbaric act committed by dispersed bandits on the run,” the governor extolled the guards and troops for their sacrifice to protect people’s lives.
“The bandits’ ambush on our guards is a cowardly act, as they were dispersed and on the run due to sustained troop onslaught across the state,” the governor stated, adding the troops will continue their onslaught against the terrorists in the state and the entire [North West] region.
The governor, who sympathised with the families of the deceased guards, said “Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. I hope those injured recover at the earliest.”
“My government is committed to providing all necessary support to the families of the frontline guards who lost their lives,” he added.
Zamfara: A banditry hotspot
What started mainly as a confrontation between armed Fulani herders and the Hausa vigilante group — Yansakai, has now turned into full-blown violence starting from cattle rustling, and kidnapping-for-ransom to maiming and killing of locals.
The first bandit group, Kungiyar Gayu, emerged [in Zamfara] in 2011, focusing on cattle rustling and robbery. Unfortunately, an effort to suppress the group by the outlawed Hausa Yansakai group worsened the situation, resulting in the formation of more armed bandit groups mainly dominated by the Fulanis.
READ ALSO: Lawal mourns 9 Zamfara guards ambushed and killed in Tsafe
The trend spread beyond Zamfara to other states in northern Nigeria, making it overwhelming for the police to manage alone. The Nigerian troops consisting of the police, military and local vigilantes have continued to fight the bandits, and this has resulted in casualties on both sides. Yet, the scourge continues as the terrorists hold sway over ungoverned spaces and apply their own rules.
In a recent video, one of the terror kingpins, Bello Turji, traced the genesis of banditry to the partial application of Sharia Law allegedly to subjugate the Fulanis in Zamfara.
According to him, the Yansakai militia further worsened the situation, adding to the Fulanis’ grievances.
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