Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has lamented that President Bola Tinubu has not been properly briefed on the security situation in the state.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, the governor noted that there is a political undertone regarding the security issue in the state.
The governor explained that if the government is committed, banditry could be eradicated in a few weeks.
He said: “Sometimes, when you’re really helpless, when you need them (security agents), they are not there. Even when they are there, they are given certain instructions on what to do and not what to do.
“Within just two weeks , we can battle the situation but the political will is not there. We know who they (bandits) are. We know where they live. It’s just that there is no political will.
“Based on the conversation we had, I am not sure that President Tinubu has been fully briefed about the security situation in the State. And I had to explain everything to him regarding what we are going through and what needs to be done.
“Zamfara State has become the colony of banditry in northern Nigeria. If you can take care of Zamfara today, believe me, you’d have solved 90 percent of the banditry issue in northern Nigeria as a whole.
“If we are committed, if we are serious, we can take care of this situation within two weeks maximum. But the political will is not there.”
The governor said he does not have control over the military, police or personnel of the civil defense.
According to him, such a situation had rendered his government helpless in suppressing the operations of bandits in Zamfara.
“In most cases, you get frustrated in terms of where you get help from. When you need these people, they would be nowhere to be found. And therefore the best thing to do is to set up that kind of security outfit.
“There are a lot of security undertones in the security issues. Some of you find it difficult to come and say but I know what we are going through.
“But like I said, sometimes you are helpless and when you need them they are not there or even when they are there, they are given certain instructions on what to do and not to do,” he noted.
Tinubu not properly briefed about security situation in Zamfara – Gov Lawal