Banditry Roundabout Zamfara: Gov Lawal Never Had A Hand In It


By

Tom Garba


Zamfara State, nicknamed the land of agriculture, was once peaceful. Serenity in the area used to be iconic. So was unity among the people of one of the old Hausa city-states like Kano, Katsina, Gobir, Kabi, and Zazzau. The people over the years have struggled for autonomy until the military administration of General Sani Abacha subdivided Sokoto State in 1996 to get the present-day Zamfara.


Unfortunately, the democracy they all yearned for has turned into a nightmare of their corporate existence. Politicians who were not passionate about development used agriculture and mineral resources to inflict pain on the people. The bandits succeeded in ruining the state, killing, maiming, and kidnapping women and children for ransom. Some of the women became sex slaves.


Bandits turned the people into their source of livelihood while politicians used the bandits to settle scores. This was the way of life during the governorship of Bello Mutawalle (now Minister of State (Defence)). During his days, kidnapping was the order of the day.


Fate and luck took sides with the people of Zamfara State when they all stood up against the tyranny of the bandit-friendly government. They used the 2023 governorship election to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC). In place came in Dr Dauda Lawal of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) who is transforming the state.


Lawal is restoring the lost glory of Zamfara. Farming as the pride of the state is taking shape in an unprecedented speed, security has been beefed up and the activities of bandits have been drastically curbed. Kidnapping of people is almost becoming a history. This is the new Zamfara State under Dr Dauda Lawal, an erudite and zealous leader with a heart of gold.


Chasing the dark moments of kidnapping with impunity, raping women and killing children for ritual purposes, illegitimate mining of the concentrated mineral resources is already bade goodbye. But the opposition on Thursday saw that the business as usual was no more and went to court to overturn the judgement and the declaration of Governor Dauda Lawal.


Many political analysts and thought leaders thought what happened at the Abuja Court of Appeal was more of political banditry than due process.


To them, Political Banditry is the worst form because it robs the economy, the political will, and the mineral resources of the people of Zamfara State, where Governor Lawal has no hand in any of the crimes.


The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not turn the other eye, wade in and prevail on the manipulators of the people's mandate to let the able leadership of Dr Dauda Lawal be.


It's a looming bloody situation and the decision of the court may plunge the state into a crisis leading to an unimaginable mayhem. To avert such an ugly situation is to maintain the status quo. To allow the peaceful and progressive nature of Zamfara to flow. The best I see in this is to allow Governor Dauda Lawal to continue to champion the cause of the state because it is the people's choice and their mandate was given to him.


It is therefore the worst of all the migration of Zamfara State to banditry of the people's will, the future and the collective destiny of every son and daughter of the state.


Lawal is the answer to the needs of the people in Zamfara. He is the solution to the people and is the man with the people's mandate. He has come to work, to protect and defend the interest of anyone in the state. Submerging justice in the interest of injustice could be catastrophic.


Mr President, please save the situation.



Mr Garba, FICM, FBMC, SPSP, writes from Abuja. Contacts:

08030525759, 08172570959 and tomgarba5@gmail.com

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