Former chairman of the Committee on Prosecution of Bandits Related Offences in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi, has called on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to cease posting corps members to states plagued by bandit attacks.He specifically identified Zamfara, Kebbi, and Sokoto as states where the NYSC should discontinue the deployment of corps members.
His recommendation comes in the wake of an incident two weeks ago when armed bandits abducted eight NYSC members along a highway in Zamfara State.
During an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast program, Sunrise Daily, Shinkafi stated, “I’m calling on the leadership of NYSC to stop posting youth corps members to Sokoto, Kebbi, and even Zamfara.”
He criticized Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal for refusing to engage in a “peace dialogue” with repentant bandits. He argued that the approach taken by the previous administration of Bello Matawalle, which involved negotiations with the terrorists, had been more effective in securing the release of abductees in Zamfara.
Shinkafi highlighted that during past incidents, they would reach out to repentant bandits, who would then collaborate with security agencies to either rescue the victims or facilitate their release from their captors without paying any ransom.
However, he expressed concerns about the current administration, citing a significant increase in killings and kidnappings, with more than 2,000 people affected. According to him, no part of the 14 local governments in Zamfara is safe.
In the governorship election held on March 18, Dauda Lawal, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emerged victorious, defeating Bello Matawalle, who was seeking a second term. Matawalle was subsequently sworn in as the Minister of State for Defence by President Bola Tinubu.