7th February, 2021
The governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle has said he would build RUGA settlements for bandits who accept the state’s amnesty.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Zailani Baffa made this announcement.
RUGA is the acronym for Rural Grazing Area
Baffa said the state government has granted amnesty to some bandits who were in detention at various Correctional Centres in the state.
He also said “Governor Matawalle has already told the world that he has chosen dialogue as a means of ending banditry in the state and has granted amnesty to many repentant bandits.
“Arrangements are also in top gear to provide shelter to the repentant bandits through the construction of RUGA settlements in some parts of the state.”
The governor’s adviser added that following the tour to the state by Sheikh Ahmad Gummi, there were so many bandits who were willing to repent and join the peace accord embarked upon by the governor.
He, however, said the state government needs the Federal Government to deploy more security personnel to fight those recalcitrant bandits.
He stressed that the governor had constitutional rights to enter into dialogue with the bandits just as he had the right to grant them amnesty.