Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, on Tuesday, signed the anti-banditry and other related offences bill into law.

The law which comes into force with immediate effect has a death penalty for those found guilty of banditry and other related offences in Zamfara State.

Speaking shortly after signing the bill, Matawalle said the law formed part of measures to tackle banditry, kidnapping, and cattle rustling in the state.

The law, ‘Prohibition and Punishment for Banditry, Cattle Rustling, Cultism, Kidnapping and Other Incidental Offences, 2022’ was passed by the Zamfara State House of Assembly on Monday.

The governor said the law was part of the government’s series of efforts to address the nagging challenge of banditry and associated crimes in the state.

He said: “Today, we have signed the bill on Prohibition and Punishment for Banditry, Cattle Rustling, Cultism, Kidnapping and Other Incidental Offences, 2022.

“You may recall that yesterday (Monday) I inaugurated four security-related committees, as part of our counter-banditry initiatives.

“Formation of the committees is aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of the security measures being taken to end the over-decade-old banditry and other security-related challenges.”

Matawalle further stated that he had earlier signed Executive Orders 7, 8, 9, and 10, which provided the legal instruments and operational guidelines for the committees.

He noted that the most fundamental focus of governance, anywhere in the world, is security.

The governor added that his government would go to any length within the law, to secure the state and restore peace in the communities.

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“Zamfara State, under my watch, will continue to explore all possible remedies to our plight.

“Those making insinuations about our decision to support the right of community members to self-defence against ruthless attacks by bandits ought to take into consideration the scale of the problem we are facing.

“They should take into account the plight of the innocent people who are maimed, killed, and kidnapped every day in various parts of the state,” he said.

Matawall stated that the state Community Protection Guards were not different from the Civilian Joint Taskforce (JTF) in Borno State, and Amotekun in the South-West region of the country.

He added: “Our move is particularly significant considering the fact that there is currently no part of the country that is not facing one form of insecurity or the other.

“Our conventional security forces are operating in various theatres ranging from southeast to southwest, northeast to north-central, heroically battling with varying degrees of security challenges.

“They are not only overstretched but also lack enough modern equipment to prosecute counter-banditry and insurgency warfare effectively.”

The governor said a similar move by the Zamfara State Government aimed to complement the efforts of the security forces, “with the ultimate goal of totally defeating the miscreants”.

The new law, according to him, will serve as a legal instrument for prosecuting banditry-related offenders.

The new law provides that any person found guilty of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, cultism, or being an informant to the bandits is liable to the death penalty.

It also provides that anyone found guilty of aiding and abetting the crimes would be liable to life imprisonment, 20 years imprisonment, or 10 years imprisonment, without an option of fine.

Matawalle further commended the legislature for keeping up with its constitutional responsibility of making laws to secure the state.

“We equally thank the Federal Government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari for its consistent support and cooperation to Zamfara State to achieve the desired end,” he said.

The Star