Following the abduction of over 24 students of Federal University, Gusau in Zamfara State, the Minister of Information and Orientation, Muhammed Idris and the governor of the state, Dauda Lawal have been trading words.
The Minister on Monday admonished the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal against politicizing efforts by the federal government to end insecurity.
According to him, “Zamfara government is supposed to appreciate security agents and Federal Government institutions for the prompt effort to rescue abducted students of the Federal University, Gusau.
“Instead, the Zamfara government chose to play politics with the sensitive matter for cheap political goals.
“Federal Government institutions are empowered by law to spring to action with or without prompting to ensure safe return of citizens illegally taken hostage, like in the case of these hapless students.
“The fact that details of such delicate operations are not revealed by the institutions responsible does not make it in any way surreptitious, as the Zamfara government atrociously described the effort.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no official of the federal government is engaged in negotiation with any bandit or group of bandits.
“Government maintains its resolve to explore every available avenue that can lead to the de-escalation of tension and bring back peace to communities ravaged by banditry,’’ the Minister said.
In his response, the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, in a press statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Bala Idris, expressed that the Zamfara State government has enough facts to expose the agents of the federal government behind the secret negotiation with bandits.
The governor revealed that the state government possessed hard 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.
“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 politicizing 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,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru has clarified that the federal government is not negotiating with the Zamfara terrorists to secure the release of the abducted students of Federal University, Gusau.
Badaru, in a statement through Mr. Hope Attari, the ministry’s Acting Director of Press and Public Relations on Tuesday in Abuja, described as misleading allegations that the government was negotiating with the terrorists.
He said President Bola Tinubu had given marching orders to the military and other security agencies to ensure the release of those abducted.
“The federal government is working assiduously round the clock to ensure that the girls and others return home,” he said.
Badaru reassured Zamfara residents and Nigerians at large of the progress being made for the quick return of the female students and others of Federal University Gusau.
He expressed confidence that the joint security task forces are working discreetly round the clock to get the students rescued.
He also condoled with the families of the girls and others who were abducted, describing the incident as a reprehensible act.
The Minister noted that the order of the President had started yielding results as 13 of the abducted students and 3 others regained their freedom on Monday.
“This feat was achieved through the professional efforts of the military,” Badaru said.
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