Zamfara governor demands refund of N13 billion security expenses

The Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, on Sunday asked the federal government to refund N13 billion his government has incurred on fighting cattle rustling and armed banditry in the state since 2011.

Mr. Yari made the request while conducting the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, on an inspection of weapons collected from bandits recently in the state.

The governor said since assuming office in 2011, his administration has been spending heavily on fighting the menace of banditry.

Mr. Yari, who is the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, said since the Constitution of Nigeria stipulates that security is the responsibility of the federal government, resources committed to fighting insecurity by states should be refunded to enable the states concentrate on execution of developmental projects.

According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Dosara, many bandits had surrendered their weapons since the state government set up a peace negotiation committee in the state.

“Peace is now being enjoyed in the state, following successful peace negotiations with the bandits,” Mr. Yari said.

The governor called for a regional forum for checking the proliferation of arms within the West African sub-region to ensure a safer West Africa.

Responding, the Minister expressed delight at the success recorded by the government of Zamfara state in the peace process.

He commended the governor for the efforts in the collection of arms and promised to support the state government in the maintenance of law and order in the state.

The Minister who said security is everybody’s business, also said the Federal Government has set up an Air Force base in the state as part of its contributions to the fight against bandits in the state.