Why peace deal with armed bandits in Zamfara collapsed – Sen. Dansadau

Senator Saidu Dansadau has said that bandits who earlier fled the state but returned after the peace deal was reached are behind the recent attacks in the state.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday, Senator Dansadau said they had earlier advised the state government to ensure that those who fled are kept at bay since they were not included in the peace deal, but that the government did not listen.

“We decided to go and meet those who fled to Adamawa, Taraba and Kwara states, but the government just allowed them to come back and they are partly responsible for the recent attacks. We advised that oath should be administered to those who agreed to lay down arms and they should be rehabilitated but our advice fell on deaf ears.

“We foresaw that the deal would collapse if strict and reliable measures were not adopted. This is because somebody who could have a lot of stolen cows and guns at his command cannot be asked to stop cattle rustling without rehabilitation. They ought to have been put on the right track of empowerment but nothing was done to that effect,” he added.

Dansadau maintained that for any conflict resolution move to succeed all stakeholders must be involved and there must be high level of commitment by all the stakeholders. He urged those in government to look inward and also think outside the box in order to find a lasting solution to the crisis.