Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a former governorship candidate in Zamfara and aide to ex-Governor Bello Matawalle, has responded to a recent publication by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, abandoned his home state of Zamfara to coordinate the fight against banditry in Sokoto State.
Shinkafi in a statement he signed on behalf of the Patriots for Peace and Social Development, said that several notorious armed bandits in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi , Katsina, and Kaduna States have been neutralised recently in the concerted and coordinated military operation in the region.
“Any governor, former governor, or retired military officer who distracts the ongoing military operation in the North West region is a saboteur who wants to use insecurity as a conduit pipe to divert and siphon security votes.
“Those who engaged in this unpatriotic act should desist from it, for God’s sake, and be aware that sooner than later, they will leave the office and account for their stewardship.
“To publish that the Minister of State for Defence abandoned his home state of Zamfara to coordinate the fight against banditry in Sokoto State is an assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians who desire public safety, peace and unity to mundane partisan politics that retards the nation’s democracy, ” he said.
He noted that Matawalle had visited Sabon Birnin, Goronyo, Rabah, Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto, which shares boundary with Shinkafi Local Government Area in Zamfara State and Niger Republic where these criminal elements easily smuggle arms and ammunition through the porous borders.
DAILY POST reports that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and other top military officers to relocate to Sokoto at 8th Division of the Nigerian Army which covers Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina States.
“President Bola Tinubu directed him to go to Sokoto State along with the Chief of Defence Staff to coordinate the fight against banditry in the North West, not to Zamfara State, though the military operation covers Zamfara State where the notorious bandit kingpin, Jamilu Sububu was neutralised in recent military operation against other armed bandits. Sadly, the same PDP that has been frustrating Matawalle’s effort in providing public safety and order in Zamfara State in particular and the nation in general is the one sarcastically making noise that Matawalle operates from Sokoto instead of Zamfara to flush out bandits in the North West,” he said.