Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has urged Nigerians to desist from politicising issues of insecurity affecting many parts of the country.
Matawalle made the call when he visited the Special Army Super Camp Faskari, Katsina state alongside Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the two governors visited the super camp to ascertain the level of successes of the recently launched Operation Sahel Sanity to deal with banditry in the North Western region.
Matawalle also said the call in some quarters to change the security architecture of the country was not necessary, adding that change of security would not provide the needed solution.
According to him, safeguarding and ensuring security is not just the responsibility of the President, the Governors, Service Chiefs and security apparatuses alone but that of every patriotic citizen.
“In fact, we, the politicians, are to be blamed for the intractable security challenges bedeviling our communities. It is evident that some politicians exploit insecurity for political gains.
“These unscrupulous politicians will hardly commend the military for their successes at the battlefronts. However, they will be eager to rush to the media to report attacks by bandits or other miscreants.
“For these crop of politicians, politics is not about genuine commitment to the wellbeing of the people; it is all about power and nothing more.
“I, therefore, urge the security agencies to deal decisively with anyone found politicising security no matter how highly placed.
“It is by so doing that we can significantly address the current security challenges confronting not just the North-West, but the entire federation,” he said.
Matawalle commended the Nigerian Army for the commencement of Exercise Sahel Sanity geared towards enhancing the combat readiness of the troops to rout out banditry and various crimes in the North West.
He said that the troops would be in better position to defeat the criminals at the end of the exercise, considering the monumental nature of the challenge in the region.
He assured that the government would continue to support the Nigerian army to achieve the desired operational efficiency in the performance of its roles.
According to him, the state has began to witness some level of peace in different parts compared to what it used to be.
Also speaking, Tambuwal commended efforts of the Nigerian army in the fight to end banditry and other forms of insecurity in the North west.
Tambuwal said that Sokoto state had witnessed situations where farmers had returned to their farms while those who left their villages as a result of attacks had started returning to their homes.
According to him, Sokoto is gradually returning to peace especially the eastern part where we have had many challenges of banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping.
“If we can have more and more of this, we will soon end this issue of insecurity,” he said.
Tambuwal said that the military needed more funding in terms of equipment and welfare, adding that there should be special funding other than the conventional budgetary appropriation by the national assembly.
He added that the northern governors had agreed to adopt carrot and stick approach in addressing the issue of banditry and all forms of insecurity in the region.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, conducted the governors round the camp and briefed them on the operations of the troops against banditry in the region.
The GOC 3 Division, Maj.-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, thanked the governors for their confidence in the Nigerian army to stem the tide of banditry in their respective states.
Angbazo also commended the governors for their support for the troops and cooperation that had made Operation Sahel Sanity a success.
He said that the supports of the governors had boosted the efficiency of the operations to end the scourge of banditry in the region.
