THE Governor of Zamfara State has expressed optimism that the reign of terror led by notorious and wanted bandit leader Bello Turji will soon come to an end.
Governor Lawal is confident that Turji will either be captured or eliminated in the near future.
“It’s only a matter of time,” the governor stated yesterday during an interview when asked about the efforts to stop the bandit leader.
“With the measures we have in place and the cooperation between the state government, the Federal Government, and security agencies, believe me, it’s only a matter of time before Turji is killed very soon,” he added.
The governor’s statements comes shortly after the military made significant progress in the fight against bandits, successfully killing another wanted bandit leader, Halilu Sububu, who had been terrorizing communities in Zamfara, Sokoto, and other parts of the North-West. Sububu and over 30 other bandits were killed last week.
‘Sustaining Military Pressure’
While Governor Lawal does not believe Turji’s elimination will entirely eradicate banditry in the state, he is confident it will greatly reduce the problem.
He lauded the military’s efforts and emphasized the need to maintain pressure.
“We need to sustain this military pressure,” he said. “If we can maintain this level of pressure for the next two weeks to a month, believe me, the banditry situation will change significantly.”
Zamfara State has not only been plagued by banditry but has also been in the spotlight due to illegal mining activities, with non-state actors heavily involved. There are reports suggesting that illegal miners may be funding some of the bandit groups.
“There is a link between banditry and, to some extent, these mining activities,” Governor Lawal noted, emphasizing the need for a review of how the mining sector is managed.
He called for better coordination between the Federal Government, which oversees mining, and the state government, which owns the land.
He also acknowledged that the state has no clear understanding of the number of licensed miners operating there or the revenue generated by the Federal Government from mining activities in the region.
