The Acting Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, has expressed concern over the resurgence of banditry in the state, saying the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, will soon be in the country.
He made the remark when he separately received the Minister of Interior, retired Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, at the Government House, Gusau on Wednesday.
Dambazau and Abubakar were in the state in connection with the fresh attack in the state by bandits.
Rikiji said: “My governor will soon be in the country and to the state because he has been terribly devastated by the resurgence of banditry when we were just feeling the hoodlums had been defeated and peace had been restored to the state.”
Rikiji, who is also the Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly said the governor’s return would further boost the planned stakeholders meeting with security personnel and pave the way for new approaches against the bandits.
In their separate remarks, the Federal Government officials said they were in the state on the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to them, they would remain in the state to coordinate harsher confrontation against the bandits in Zamfara State and all the neighbouring states, especially Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger.
They appealed to the people of the state to give security personnel the necessary support and cooperation so as to ensure the success of the various operations being carried out by security agents deployed to the state.
Yari had been away for a while now during which time the bandits returned with more severity, killing particularly villagers, burning houses and food staff.