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Zamfara State Government says the have over seven hundred thousand Internally Displaced Persons as a result of banditry in the state.
The State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara stated this during a joint press conference with the State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Mamman Tsafe held in Kaduna.
He explained that the government has established a Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with eight centres across the state in order to take care of the IDPs.
“Each of the 14 local government areas of the state currently has emergency relief desk officers shouldering the responsibilities of assisting the IDPs in their respective local government”. He explained.
Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara explained that the government and the
international donor agencies had provided food items, clothing, bed, mattresses to address their hardship.
“These donor agencies complement the efforts of the state government through cash transfer to our IDPs ranging from N30,000 to N40,000 periodically to these victims.
“The Federal Government too has been committing huge sum in this regard. The Zamfara State government remains grateful to all who contributes to relieving the worries of these innocent people across the state.
The Commissioner further explained that the Ministry for Humanitarian has embarked on training some of the victims of the banditry on skills acquisition programmes, bordering on tailoring, barbing saloon, pure water making and providing Keke-Nafef to some beneficiaries.
On the security challenges facing the state, He said that the government that had recruited over four thousand two hundred as Community Protection Guards.
“Thee protection guards are comprising of our ex-servicemen, volunteer able-bodied men and other patriotic citizens with have the love of the state at heart”.
On the peace efforts with bandits, he noted that following the initial dialogue with the bandits as well as the peace reconciliation efforts, there was relative peace as the majority of the bandits succumbed to the peace process.
However, said the few who turned down the request of the government to down arms are the ones who have become thorns in the flesh and still causing mayhem, blood birth, kidnapping etc of the innocent Zamfara citizenry.
“The boycott of the source of supplies of the bandits no doubt created serious pressure against them forcing others to flee to neighbouring states.
Yet others among them surrendered their weapons voluntarily and pronounced dumping bandit activities.
Adamu Yusuf
