The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has described has false and misleading, a statement credited Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State that the Federal Government has been negotiating with bandits in his state.
Badaru while reacting to the allegation on Tuesday said the Ministry has not mandated anybody or group to negotiate on behalf of the Federal Government with Zamfara bandits.
He outrightly dismissed the claim by Lawal that the Federal Government is negotiating with the bandits who kidnapped some female students and Staff of Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State.
Badaru said contrary to the claim, the Federal Government is working assiduously to ensure that the students and other abductees return home safely.
The ministry made the clarifications in a statement by the Acting Director Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Defence, Attari Hope.
Badaru said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given marching orders to the military and other security agencies to ensure the release of the kidnap victims.
He said that the order of President Tinubu has started yielding result as 13 of the abducted students and three others regained freedom on Monday.
“This feat was achieved through the professional efforts of the Military,” Badaru said.
He condoled the amilies of the students and others that were abducted stating: “I share in your pain and strongly condemn this reprehensible act carried out by suspected bandits.”
The Minister expressed confidence that the joint security task forces deployed after the bandits would rescue the remaining abductees and bring them home safely.
Governor Dauda Lawal, had earlier on Tuesday, said the Zamfara State Government has enough facts to expose the agents of the Federal Government behind the secret negotiation with bandits.
The governor, who had consistently ruled out the option of negotiating with bandits, had earlier raised the alarm that the Federal Government had entered a secret dialogue with the criminals.
Lawal was countered almost immediately by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, who him of politicising security.
In a statement by Sulaiman Bala Idris, his spokesman, Lawal said he had evidence exposing some Federal Government agents involved in the negotiations with bandits in Zamfara.
He added that the Minister of Information should have conducted a thorough investigation before discrediting the state government.
The statement read in parts : “We sought clarification from the Federal Government regarding the sneaky negotiations with bandits carried out by some of its agents without recourse to the State Government and heads of Security agencies in the State.
“We have facts and evidence on what had transpired between these agents of the Federal Government and the bandits during the negotiations in several places across Zamfara.
“It is disappointing that the information minister discredited our claim without verifying it first.
“What is expected of him as a professional is to collaborate with relevant authorities to substantiate the claim’s authenticity.
“Zamfara State Government respects protocol and established authority.
“We would not come out in the media to start exposing the names of the Federal Government agents involved in the covert dialogue with bandits.
“We want to clarify that those individuals leading secret negotiations with bandits in Zamfara are politicising insecurity, not the State Government.
“The Information Minister’s statement claiming that there were no negotiations between government officials and bandits in Zamfara requires further clarification.
“We have already exposed a few locations where such talks were held with bandits, such as Birnin Magaji, Maradun, Mun Haye, Ajah, Bawo, and Bagege.
“Negotiating with bandits in Zamfara is a grave mistake we cannot afford to make.
“It is not the solution to the problem and only encourages and emboldens the criminals.
“We urge the Federal Government to take a firm stance against such activities and investigate the motives of those who engage in them.”
(vitalnewsngr.com)
