
Dr. Sani Shinkafi, the head of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, has vehemently condemned the recent murder of more than 35 kidnapped victims by armed bandits in the state’s Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area.
The former head of the committee, Shinkafi, addressed journalists in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, and demanded that the government be prosecuted for killings of bandits in the state. He also criticized the Federal Government for breaking its constitutional obligation to protect lives and property.
He narrated how the bandits executed the victims who had been taken from Banga village in February despite receiving ransom from some of their relatives.
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The bandit kingpin imposed a ransom of N1 million per head, and only 18 relatives were able to pay, he said, adding that 53 of the innocent people who were kidnapped since February had already been done.
Shinkafi claimed that the victims’ accounts of being released showed horrifying crimes by kidnappers while they were being held captive.
“One of the bandits who was released informed the community that the other people had been brutally murdered.”
They were not murdered by bandits, but you carried your relation and killed him by yourself, two people who fought against the bandits’ demands and were immediately shot dead.
One newborn was brutally murdered while three women gave birth in captivity, according to Shinkafi’s harrowing tale.
One of the three women who gave birth to the child was crying, and the bandits complained that the baby was disturbing them after the three women had delivered the baby. The baby was smashed head-on by them as they pulled him out, held his legs, and slammed into a rock. His skull disintegrated, and the mother suffered a serious heart attack and passed away within thirty minutes.
Bello Turji, the notorious bandits’ leader, is accused of attempts by federal authorities to broker peace with Shinkafi, which raised other serious issues.
He claimed that higher authorities had issued orders to the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to stop its efforts to capture Turji.
According to Shinkafi, “The civilian JTF were on the verge of hand-to-hand arresting Turji, and the governor at the top had ordered the governor to put an end to the conflict,” Turji said.
Additionally, he further revealed that a committee led by an Bauchi State senator was allegedly having a peaceful conversation with Turji inside his hideout.
Senator Buba, a member of the Bauchi state’s Senate, traveled to Shinkafi, and he also traveled to our Emir. The Emir called me and confirmed to me that this committee had visited our Emirate, met Turji in his hideout, and agreed to meet him.
“After that visit, Turji released parts 1 and 2 of two videos exhorting other armed bandit groups to embrace peace. What are the methods, how do they embrace peace, and what are their tactics? He inquired.
Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State, was therefore instructed by Shinkafi to resist any pressure from bandits, under the pretext that previous peace efforts had been unsuccessful.
There is no need for the governor to engage in any peace talks with bandits because they are unreliable, untrustworthy, betrayers and blood lickers, as we hereby request.
Bello Matawalle and Abdulaziz Yari’s previous government negotiated with bandits, but negotiations have failed to produce any agreements.