TheCable

Ibrahim Dosara, Zamfara commissioner for information, says 2,000 bandits’ informants have been arrested in the state.

Speaking during a press briefing in Kaduna on Thursday, Dosara said the arrested informants have been providing information on how they collaborate with bandits and those involved in banditry.

Over the past few weeks, the Zamfara government has taken several measures to tackle the activities of bandits in the state, including shutting down telecommunications services.

Giving an update on the development, the commissioner said the state has “greatly succeeded ” in tackling banditry.

He said bandits are already fleeing Zamfara to other neighbouring states.

“I am happy to announce to you that after a month of military operations and imposing appropriate measures, we have greatly succeeded in so many respects,” the commissioner said.

“The bandits have fled Zamfara state for fear of being killed by security operatives. So many bandits fled Zamfara state to where they felt safe.

“Just yesterday, the Sokoto state commissioner for security said 80 percent of the bandits have relocated to Sokoto and the Sokoto state government is trying its best to push them out or neutralise them.

“According to him only 20 percent of the bandits are in Zamfara and Katsina state and I am sure the Sokoto state government will not relent in efforts to make sure that the bandits are pushed out of their state.

“Over 2000 informants who are the most serious problem of banditry in Zamfara state have been arrested and are providing vital information regarding their operations.

He said the informants have provided information on persons involved in the “armed banditry saga, including highly-placed personalities”.

Speaking further, the commissioner said bandits have been forced to eat raw foods in farms because the supplies from their collaborators have been cut off.

“So many of the bandits have been forced to take raw food in farms such as millets and okoro to survive because they have been cut off from the supplies they use to get from their collaborators in town in terms of drugs and food,” he said.

“Because of the hardship being faced by the bandits as a result of the stiffer measures taken by the government, the bandits have resorted to using camels to perpetrate their heinous acts against communities.”

He also disclosed that the government is considering restoring telecommunications services in the state capital before the end of the week.

“In a nutshell, so many successes have been recorded and the government is very happy about this, and as a result, the government is considering opening up Gusau, the state capital, by restoring telecoms services before the end of this week,” he said.