Banditry: Matawalle Suspends District Head Who Conferred Title On Indicted Military Officer

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has suspended one Surajo Ibrahim, the District Head of Badarawa in Shinkafi Emirate Council, Sarkin Kudun Badarawa.

Ibrahim was suspended for conferring the traditional title of ‘Durumbu’ on a military officer who was arrested for selling live ammunition to bandits in Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state.

The Director-General of Press Affairs at the Government House, Yusuf Gusau, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, the governor was sad to receive a report that the affected military officer attached to Shinkafi general area was arrested for selling live ammunition to bandits operating in the area and was even bestowed with a title by the district head.

Governor Matawalle warned that his administration would not tolerate anything capable of destroying the peace and reputation of the state, as well as ensure that anybody found wanting in any way was dealt with accordingly.

He stated that the suspension of the district head was indefinite because the traditional title was for no reason of significant contribution to the development of the area.

The governor also warned that henceforth, all traditional rulers must seek approval before conferring a traditional title on people who have contributed to the development of their respective districts or emirates.

He explained that this became necessary in order to avoid unnecessary embarrassment to the state government and its traditional institutions.

The military officer was said to have been arrested recently with 20 rounds of 62mm of live ammunition at the point of handing over to his usual buyer, one Kabiru Bashiru of Maniya Village of Shinkafi Emirate after he had collected an advanced payment of N100,000 from recalcitrant bandits in the area.

Governor Matawalle, however, commended the security agencies in the state for arresting one Dr Kamarawa with four full sets of military camouflage uniforms and one army identification card.

He noted that Kamarawa specialised in the supply of army uniforms and drugs to bandits before luck ran out on him on his way from Sokoto to deliver the items to his customers in Zamfara.

The governor said as a leader, he cannot sit and fold his arms while his people were being killed in connivance with those saddled with the responsibility of protecting them.

He decried that the involvement of security agents in criminality through the sales of ammunition would certainly compromise and expose the sharing of credible intelligence to the bandits.

Governor Matawalle stated that all those arrested in connection with banditry would be made to face the full wrath of the law.