Coalition Berates Zamfara Gov for Allegedly Financing Banditry, Illegal Gold-Mining for Selfish Gains
…Calls for Arrest of Bandits’ Sponsors
A COALITION, Centre Against Banditry and Terrorism (CABT), has condemned Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, for allegedly financing banditry and illegal gold-mining activities in the state for personal gain.
Speaking at a press conference, Executive Director, Yakubu Dauda, accused Governor Lawal of paying terrorists and subversive elements over N1.3 billion to sustain his profit from illegal mining activities.
Dauda revealed that the funds were paid to notorious terrorist kingpins, including Kachalla Dogo Gide, Kachalla Bello Turji, and Ado Alero, among others, to unleash more mayhem on communities with gold deposits.
The coalition demanded a full investigation into the sponsorship of terrorism in the North West, calling for the prosecution of all persons connected with the insecurity in Zamfara State and the North-West.
Dauda urged anti-graft agencies to confirm the transactions, freeze accounts associated with the beneficiaries, and put them on trial for terrorism financing.
“Contrary to the lies told in the approval, Governor Lawal’s main motive is to sustain his profit from illegal mining activities which is his sole business. The funds paid to the terrorists seem to have been for them to unleash more mayhem on communities with gold deposits especially since there has been an uptick in attacks in the aftermath of the payments,” the statement said.
“For context, the funds transferred to these terrorists were done solely at the discretion of Governor Lawal. There is nowhere in the approval that states that this criminal enterprise was undertaken with neighbouring states or the federal government.
“The expenditure of this amount for arming terrorists and mobilising subversion of the Nigerian state did not pass through the Zamfara State House of Assembly as well if only to secure its rubber stamp approval.
“It is worrisome that Governor Dauda Lawal and the Zamfara State Government have not cleared the air on this criminal payment to terrorists since the leak of that document. Governor Lawal’s silence is an acceptance of culpability.
“This must now attract consequences because the evil he perpetrated in Zamfara affects the whole of Nigeria.”
CABT praised the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Muhammad Bello Matawalle, for his efforts in reviewing the ongoing anti-banditry and counter-terrorism operations in the North-West region, expressing hope that the banditry problem would soon be addressed.
The group said his review of the ongoing anti-banditry and counter-terrorism operations in the North-West region has reassured us that the banditry problem will one day be a thing of the past.
“The Centre Against Banditry and Terrorism (CABT) terrorism can only end if we all join hands to take the war to the sponsors of the terrorist gangs. We demand a full investigation of those behind the sponsorship of terrorism in the North West,” the statement said.
“We expect that Mr President will issue an Executive Order to accelerate the naming and prosecution of all persons connected with the insecurity in Zamfara State and the North-West to rid that part of Nigeria of terrorism.
“We urge the anti-graft agencies to confirm the transactions in the document, freeze all accounts associated with the listed beneficiaries, and put the recipients on trial for terrorism financing.”