The Zamfara State Government has revealed plans to build RUGA settlements for repentant bandits in the state.
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Zailani Baffa, special adviser to Matawalle on public enlightenment, media and publicity, said the state government is taking steps in this direction, following an amnesty arrangement it had with the bandits last year.
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“Following the amnesty arrangement, the state government had, since last year, granted amnesty to some bandits who were in detention at various correctional centres in the state, just as the bandits also released some people they had kidnapped.
“Governor Matawalle had already told the world that he had chosen dialogue as a means of ending banditry in the state and had granted amnesty to many repentant bandits.
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“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”, he said.
Baffa stated that following a peace meeting with bandits’ commanders in the forests in the state by popular Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, last Thursday, many bandits have indicated their willingness to repent and join the governor’s peace accord.
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“All the state government needs from the Federal Government is the deployment of more security personnel to the state so that we can fight those recalcitrant bandits who are not ready to surrender.
“We have gone far in this arrangement and it is yielding positive results,” he added.
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