Bello Matawalle, the governor of Zamfara State, has promised to give out two cows in exchange of each rifle surrendered by bandits operating in the state.
Mr Matawalle made the remarks today playing host to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Director General, Department of State Security Services, Yusuf Bichi, who were in the state on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari mandating them to halt insecurity across the nation.
“For every rifle submitted by a repentant bandit, there would be compensation of two cows,” the governor promised.
“We don’t want to give them money, so they wouldn’t use the money to purchase new weapons. We said we will compensate them with cows, they are Fulani and they need the cows to advance their economic interest.
“We also told the repentant bandits that all “Dabas” (Camps) in the forests should be disbanded. We won’t accept a situation where the bandits will disarm and then go back to the forest and be staying in these camps or Dabas.
“We asked them to either come to town and be reintegrated into the society or be given economic empowerment where they are, so that they would start a new life. Most of them are residing in forests under the shades of trees and inside caves. That is why we came up with RUGA policy to help them,” Matawalle, whose state has been one of the most hit by banditry, added.
