Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has threatened to arrest his predecessor, Abdulaziz Yari over the recent killings by bandits in the State.

Matawalle made the threat in response to last Sunday’s killing of 14 persons by bandits in Karaye village of Gummi local government area of the state, according to a statement signed by Yusuf Idris, the Director-General, Press Affairs to the governor and made available to newsmen in Gusau on Friday.

The Governor was further quoted as saying that he would lead security personnel to arrest Yari should there be any further breach of the peace trailing the former governor’s visit to the state, .

The Governor had in an earlier statement accused his predecessor of sabotaging the security of the state.

He noted that Yari had visited the state three times since he left office in May and each of the visit was followed by security breach.

“The former governor Abdulaziz Yari is not happy with the peace so far recorded by the present administration and is instigating his boys against the security development,” Yari said in a statement also signed by Yusuf on his behalf on Thursday.

This was in spite of the claim by the Zamfara Police Public Relations Officer,  SP Mohammed Shehu, that the Karaye attack in which 14 persons were killed was a reprisal attack against an earlier attack on Fardoki village in the same Gummi local government where 11 persons were allegedly killed.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that governor Matawalle who was billed to go to Germany to share his idea on how he was able to resolve armed banditry in Zamfara with the rest of the world has shelved his trip.

The governor’s trip also followed an invitation extended to him by the German Chancellor in Germany last September as part of President Buhari’s delegation to the country.

According to the him, the postponement of the visit would allow the governor to fully address the security situation in the state as result of attack on innocent persons in Karaye village of Gummi local government.

He maintained that having attained peaceful coexistence in the state through the peace and reconciliation initiative in the state, the government would continue to do its best in order to sustain the tempo.

The governor’s spokesman said that Gov. Matawalle had vowed to ensure that all those involved in the attack were apprehended and brought to book.