Insecurity: How 2,300 persons were killed in Zamfara – Yari

Abdulaziz Yari, governor of Zamfara, has claimed that insecurity in
the state has led to the loss of at least 2,300 lives from 2011 till
date.

The Governor said this while speaking at a special Town Hall meeting
on security in Gusau, Zamfara capital, on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information;
Mansur Dan-Ali, Minister of Defence and Suleiman Adamu, Minister of
Water Resources.

Yari said agricultural activities in the state had suffered a major
setback because of insecurity and that over 25,000 cattle had been
rustled.

"About 2,300 people have died in the state since 2011. Agriculture has
suffered setback as a result of this security problem," he said.

"In Zamfara, we are all Muslims, I don't expect a Muslim to kill
another [Muslim]. We should know that we are dealing with criminals.

"In 2014, we had only 24 soldiers in the whole of Zamfara state."

The Governor said since he assumed office in 2011, he has been facing
security challenges.

"As a governor who has confronted insecurity since the inception of my
administration, I have some experience," he said.

On his part, Mohammed reiterated the spate of killings across the
country "have fallen drastically."

"Let me say straight away that the killings, resulting from
farmers-herders clashes, cattle rustling, trans-border crimes and
banditry, among others, have fallen drastically," the minister said.

"Unfortunately, this has not received the kind of media coverage that
was given to the killings.

"I appeal to the media to correct this. I have no doubt that the good
people of Zamfara can testify to the drastic reduction in the
activities of cattle rustlers and other bandits in the state since the
federal government assembled a 1000-strong military force, comprising
the army, air force, police and the civil defence, to launch fierce
attacks on the bandits terrorising the villages and towns of Zamfara
state.

"The situation will continue to improve until the violence has stopped."

Dan-Ali expressed his displeasure at connivance of locals with bandits.

"Most of us are giving information to bandits, please let us change
that [narrative] with the security agencies," the defence minister
said.