Why We Are Negotiating With Bandits-Matawalle

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has said that the government’s continued negotiation with bandits for the release of the abducted victims is not a sign of weakness and failure.

He made this known on Monday, February 22, when he received some repentant bandits who came to surrender their weapons at the state government house in Gusau, Zamfara capital.

Further, Matawalle posited that when it comes to the issue of insecurity, “nowhere in the world is succeeding” without negotiation with the criminals.

According to him, the submission of weapons by the bandits is an indication of a huge success being recorded by the government in the fight against banditry and kidnapping.

He said: “It is not a failure or thing of failure for someone to initiate dialogue. Nowhere in the world is succeeding without coming to the table to sit down and negotiate.

“Just for today, the weapons we have here show and indicate the successes we have recorded because leaving this kind of dangerous weapons in the bush can create a lot of havoc.

“By bringing them to the security agencies, we have reduced their capacity and capability.”