By Vera Chinonso Aliyu, YeyeNews.com, October 19, 2021
Dr. Abdullahi Shinkafi, Deputy Chairman of Zamfara State Committee On Finding A Lasting Solution To Armed Banditry, has revealed that the even though the rise in food prices in the country has been quite saddening so far, there might be a silver lining to growing inflation, as it can prove to be advantageous in tackling kidnapping and banditry.
Speaking in Gusau over the weekend, Dr. Abdullahi Shinkafi praised Zamfara state government over its effort so far in tackling banditry and added that the sustained security measures in Zamfara has helped in curbing the activities of bandits in the state. However, Shinkafi pointed interestingly that the rise in food prices has also been advantageous in curtailing this menace that is banditry.
The Deputy Chairman said bandits are starting to release their victims without ransom because there is no food to feed them. He said just recently some bandits released 11 people without any ransom after failing to provide food for them. “They told them to bring N200,000 each after starting the negotiation at N20 million per person,” Shinkafi said. “When the relatives of the victims could not come up with the ransom, they had no choice but to release the victims because they said they had no food to feed them, and some were dying from starvation. You would agree that inflation has an advantage after all. And also the security measures we have put in place are yielding results as it is gradually eliminating the activities of bandits in Zamfara State.”
The Deputy Chairman of Zamfara State Committee On Finding A Lasting Solution To Armed Banditry also revealed that bandits wrote letters to the people of Shinkafi and the Acting Emir of Zurmi because telecommunications have been shut down in the state by the committee. The bandits used the receipts of their purchased motorcycles to demand ransom for kidnapped victims. He said the task force in the state was able to trace the address of the motorcycle company in Kano State, and arrest some people.
However, the chairman’s words have been condemned by some residents in the Zamfara. Speaking with YeyeNews.com, many said it was shameful that the chairman would see food inflation as an advantage in tackling banditry in the state.
