From Abba Kabara, Gusau.
The deposed former council chairman Maradun Local government of Zamfara state Hon. Ahmad Abubakar alleged that the state administration of Bello Matawalle is silently supplying bandits with HILUX vehicles which is facilitating banditry in parts of the state.
Ahmad alleges in a recorded interview with journalists that the recent gory attack on Janbako community of Maradun local government was facilitated by the donation of three new HILIX Vans which the bandits used in the attack resulting in the killings of ten innocent villagers.
He reveals that on the fateful day, the bandits who besieged the community in their hundreds, were confronted with stiff resistance from the villagers that forced the bandits to finally retreat and abandoning one of the Hilux vehicles containing chunk of assorted ammunition and three rifles.
He also accused the army and the police of dismal performance when they in most cases, shun their responsibility and come to area of attack only after the attackers have killed and maimed their victims and left.
The Honorable blamed journalists in the state for what he called “failure to report what is actually happening in the state, but only focusing on the issue of insecurity”.
A copied Hausa written text he posted into the press Whattsup platform reads: Ni fa abinda ke tada man da hankali irin yadda ake ta’addanci ba kakkautawa a Zamfara kuma ba a ko bada labarin hakikanin abinda ke faruwa. Kawai sai kaji ana cewa jamian tsaro sun kashe yan ta’adda kaza ko sun kori kaza alhali mafi yawa basu ma je wurin ba sai da mutane suka gama artabu da bandits. Shekaranjiya, yan ta’adda sun kai Hari garin Janbako, Maradun Local Government, sun kashe mutun tara daya ya mutu a asibiti. Mutanen gari sun yi korin kare kansu kafin daga bisani sojoji su zo. Yan taadan sun zo da Hilux biyu daga cikin wadanda Gwannatin Jihar Zamfara ta basu, kuma har sun kashe sojoji kamar 3 gami da Captain (wasu sunce ma Major), amma duk da cewa yan ta’adda sun gudu sun bar mota Hilux daya dauke da buhun bullet AK akalla uku, baka jin ana reporting maganar Hilux din da makaman da aka samu a ciki. Yan jaridun Zamfara ba sa son reporting halin da talaka yake ciki, kowa yayi shiru ana kisa ana kidnapping ana rapping ba kakkautawa. Allah ya isa, Allah ya isa
Sign: Sako Daga Ahmad Abubakar Maradun,Tsohon shugaban Karamar Hukumar mulki ta Maradun,Jahar Zamfara Najeriya.
A government house release signed by Special Adviser to the governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communicatios Mallam Zailani Bappa responding to a similar “unverified” claim reported by Sahara Reporters, says that the attention of Zamfara state Government has been drawn to a story by Sahara Reporters where the medium alleged that Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle has given 15 Hilux vans and ‘millions of naira’ to repentant bandits who in turn, are now using the same vehicles to attack innocent communities in the state.
He notes that as the ethics of journalism provides, allegation such as this requires balancing from the accused before publication.
He said however that, “either due to carelessness, Quackery or sheer mischief, the medium went ahead to publish this mischievous story, which was obviously sourced from the enemies of peace in the state without balancing from the side of the Government”
To disabuse the minds of those law abiding and patriotic Nigerians, Governor Bello Mohammed used from the meager resources of the state Government to purchase 200 Hilux vans in support of Security operatives in the state.
These vehicles he said, were duly distributed to all security agencies in the state under the supervision of the Inspector-General of Police, and the beneficiaries included the Military, the Police, the Customs and Excise, the Immigration Services, the NDLEA, the NSCDC, the FRSC, among others.
“With all the programs of the Government towards peace in the state, there was never a time it gave vehicles or money to the so-called repentant bandits as there was no agreement to such”, stressing that the report was a wicked allegation and simply a figment of the writers imagination or an intended machination to discredit the administration of Bello Muhammad and undermine the peace effort in the state.
The state Government also calls on the Nigerian Military to require Sahara Reporters to substantiate their faceless and distinctly imaginary so-called Military officer source of this story because it borders on peace and is a matter of life and death of innocent citizens or face required discipline.
