Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has directed all traditional rulers in the state to stay put and attend to the security challenges in their domain.
Mr Matawalle gave the order on Thursday during a security meeting with traditional rulers, Council of Ulama and heads of security operatives in the state.
According to a statement signed by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Zailani Bappa, anyone caught violating the order will face the full wrath of the law.
The statement said: “Henceforth, no Emir or Chief is allowed to pass a night outside his domain. You must stay with your people at all times to address the problems of Security in your area.
“As for those who aid and abet insecurity in the state, I say enough is enough. We shall return your wickedness and heartlessness with the wrath you will never envisage.”
On the insecurity in the state, the governor said the state government was only being lenient due to the delicate nature of negotiations and peace efforts with bandits in the state.
He, however, said that the leniency was being taken for granted by bad politicians who chose to compound the insecurity situations in the state.
The governor also directed all local government chairmen to stay put at their areas, remining them that they were the Chief Security Officers of their areas.
“It is, therefore, prohibited for them to be spending their nights outside their areas unless on crucial official duty.
“With the recent happenings in the state where scores of attacks are carried out in some parts of the state, it is evident that the hands of bad politicians are at play.
“The state Government is doing all it can to maintain peace and order in the state, but some people are obviously more excited when they hear of attacks by bandits.
“In their bid to portray our administration as a failure, they do not care how many lives of our brothers and sisters are wasted.
“Left to me, I will be content with a one term in office if the price is to lose innocent lives of our people.
“No leadership is worth it when the price is the blood of the innocent,” the governor said.
He, however, said his administration was poised enough to tackle banditry head-on.
He noted that orders he had given would be observed for the next three months.
