The Governor of Zamfara State is optimistic that the reign of terror by the notorious and wanted bandit leader, Bello Turji, will soon be brought to a close.
Governor Lawal is confident that Turji will either be captured or neutralized shortly.
“It’s only a matter of time,” he stated on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today when questioned about the possibility of ending Turji’s activities.
“With the measures we have in place, along with the collaboration between us (the state government) and the Federal Government, security agencies, believe me, it is only a matter of time; Turji would be killed very, very soon.”
These remarks follow recent military successes, including the elimination of Halilu Sububu, a notorious bandit leader who had terrorized Zamfara, Sokoto, and other parts of the North-West.
Sububu, along with more than 30 bandits, was killed last week.
Although Governor Lawal doesn’t believe Turji’s death would completely eradicate banditry, he is certain that “it will bring it down significantly.”
He expressed his approval of the military’s progress, emphasizing that continuous pressure is essential for achieving lasting peace.
“What we need to do is to sustain this military pressure,” he emphasized.
“If we are able to sustain this pressure within the next two weeks to one month, believe me, it will be a different story as far as banditry is concerned.”
In addition to being plagued by banditry, Zamfara State has also garnered attention for illegal mining activities, with mineral resources worth millions of dollars being extracted illicitly.
Non-state actors are said to be heavily involved in these illegal operations, with reports suggesting that some of the funds from these activities are being used to finance bandits.
“There is a correlation between banditry and, to some extent, these mining activities. You can’t rule that out,” Governor Lawal explained.
To combat illegal mining, the governor advocates for a revision of the way the mining sector is regulated.
This, he noted, would ensure “proper collaboration between the Federal Government, because mining is on the exclusive list, however, the land belongs to the state government.”
“There must be that synergy between the two,” he added.
As of now, Governor Lawal admits that it is challenging to even track the number of licensed miners in the state or to determine the revenue generated by the Federal Government from mining activities within Zamfara.