A soldier and his girlfriend have been arrested for allegedly acting as a supplier of weapons and uniforms to bandits operating in Zamfara State.
The development was made known to newsmen on Friday by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House Gusau, Dr. Bashir Muhammad Maru while briefing journalists at the Zamfara State Government House.
According to him, the man and his girlfriend were arrested by his colleagues and the matter is currently before the military authorities.
Maru added that the incident is a confirmation of the views of the state governor, Bello Matawalle that internal saboteurs were responsible for the increased spate of criminal and banditry activities in Zamfara.
He noted that the state government awaits the official position of the military on the matter before it can take the next step of action.
In his words, “Another issue of topical importance is the recent arrest by the Military of an Army officer and his girlfriend who are engaged in assisting bandits with Military uniforms and ammunition in active connivance with other saboteurs.
“This arrest was only made possible through community-driven intelligence.”
“While the state government awaits the action the military will take on this matter and make an official statement, the development has further proved the position of Governor Bello Mohammed that until bad eggs and saboteurs among those fighting banditry are cleared, we may not record the desired success in the fight.
“Let me use this medium to salute the courage and patriotism of the individuals who came forward with information that led to the arrest of these traitors.
On the way forward, Maru appealed to media operators to always verify information before they publish same, noting that there is a need to authenticate reports before making them public so as to protect the fragile peace in the state.
“Finally, Zamfara State government wishes to call on all media organizations to properly investigate and authenticate their facts before they rush to the press,” he noted.
Meanwhile, former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has called on the federal government to deploy technology in tackling killings perpetrated by armed Fulani herdsmen and bandits.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Fayose berated President Muhammadu Buhari for wasting time to sack the former Service Chiefs.
While lamenting the porous nature of Nigeria’s borders, the former governor noted that criminals come in and go out easily after they have committed their heinous crimes.