The turbaning of alleged bandits’ kingpin in Zamfara State, Ado Aleru has continued to generate a lot of reactions.
The State government had said there was no approval before turbaning the bandits’ kingpin.
However, speaking exclusively with DAILY POST in Gusau, the State capital, Mallam Mohammed Ismailia faulted the State government.
“It is unbelievable that the emir of Birin Yandoto, Alhaji Aliyu Garba would single-handedly turban the bandits’ kingpin without the knowledge of the State government,” he lamented.
According to him, “if the State government did not approve the turbaning, then why were the State commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, DIG Mamman Tsafe, the chairman of Tsafe Local Government Area, Hon. Ibrahim Mudi and other government functionaries present at the turbaning ceremony.
“Who then is fooling who? Is it the fools that are fooling the fools? The State government was only looking for a safe landing, blindfolding the emir.”
Another indigene of the area, Alhaji Usman Abubakar lamented that if the State government actually wants to deal with the bandits, the occasion would have been the best period to arrest most of the bandits from various forests.
He explained that many bandits came from Katsina and Zamfara States forests to celebrate with the bandits’ kingpin, saying that the security operatives were not able to apprehend them.
“If the bandits could troop out from their forests and celebrate the turbaning of their leader, it signifies that nobody is safe and the bandits can operate at will because they have sophisticated weapons more than our security operatives.
“Before the turbaning, farmers were allowed by the bandits to go freely to their farms, but after the turbaning was rejected by the State government, people became afraid of going to their farms as the bandits are not happy over the development.
“The inability of the security operatives to arrest these bandits that have killed thousands and rendered many homeless indicated that something is wrong somewhere,” he added.
Responding on why he was at the occasion, the commissioner for security and Internal Affairs, retired DIG Mamman Tsafe said that he was there on his own because he is a subject of the emirate.
DAILY POST gathered that as pressure became so much on the state government, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Kabiru Balarebe signed and issued a press statement dissociating the State government from the turbaning.
However, another statement came from the State government signed and issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on media, Comrade Zailani Bappa banning any form of turbaning without official approval from the State government.
According to the statement, the order was informed following the turbaning of a repentant bandits’ kingpin, Ado Aleru by the Emir of Birinin Yandoto, Alhaji Aliyu Garba Mafara.