Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has announced the re-opening of selected markets earlier shut as part of measures to address insecurity in the state.
Matawalle announced the reopening of the livestock market at the swearing-in of 21 appointees in Gusau on Friday.
The appointees are two new Commissioners, 10 Special Advisers, eight Permanent Secretaries and a new Auditor-General of the state.
He listed the markets as the livestock markets in Gummi, Bagega, Danjibga, Kasuwar Daji, Tsafe, Talata-Mafara and Nasarawar Godel.
The governor said the decision to reopen the markets was informed by the improvement in the security situation in the state in the last one month.
He said the state government was also concerned with the hardship the total closure had inflicted on the state’s economy.
Matawalle, however, warned citizens against taking laws into their hands under whatever guise.
He said: “Nobody is allowed to take the laws into his or her hands even in an obvious breach.
“Government will no longer take it kindly with any person or group killing people wantonly in market places as it obtained in the past.
“Anybody caught breaking this rule will face the appropriate wrath of the law.
“I call on vigilance groups and concerned individuals to follow the rule of law and due process in addressing any issue that might arise in such situations.”
The governor appealed to traditional rulers and community leaders to ensure that the new measure was monitored to succeed “so that more relaxation of the stringent measures can follow in due course’’.
Matawalle charged the new appointees to contribute to the full restoration of law and order in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the newly-appointed officials were made to swear by the Holy Quran that they would not associate with bandits.
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