The Government of Zamfara State has denied that it gave Hilux trucks and cash gifts to “repentant bandits’’ in the state.
Zamfara Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran, said the report was “unfounded’’ and aimed at smearing the efforts of the Governor, Bello Matawalle in checking insecurity in the state.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr Zailani Bappa, while reacting to the online publication, described it as “careless, quackery and sheer mischief without balance’’.
The Commissioner stated, “This is certainly untrue, a fabrication of the writer and an unfounded statement meant to smear the effort of Gov. Bello Matawalle and the effort of his administration in handling security issues in the state.
“You know it will look foolish to any right thinking mind to say that the government that recently purchased and donated 200 Hilux vans to ease the operations of security agencies in the state will also give vehicles to bandits under whatever guise of arrangement,” he noted.
Dauran said a discreet investigation carried out by the state government showed that the false report did not emanate from any of the security agencies operating in the state, as contained in the online media report.
Sahara Reporters on Tuesday reported that Zamfara State Government doled out Hilux vehicles and cash gifts to repentant bandits which they converted to use in perpetrating crimes, thereby betraying the peace accord which they entered with the government.
(NAN)