Zamfara NASS Caucus Demands Amnesty For Repentant Bandits 

BY BODE GBADEBO, Abuja

Members of the National Assembly representing Zamfara State, have called for the offer of amnesty to the repentant bandits in the North-west part of the country as enjoyed by the agitators in the Niger Delta region.

The lawmakers led by the Senate deputy whip, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, at a briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, said the offer became necessary in order to enjoy the contributions of the repentant bandits to their various communities.

The Zamfara National Assembly Caucus also praised the existing peace initiative in Zamfara State as being championed by the state governor, Bello Matawalle, even as it called on the federal and state governments to emulate same in order to engender peace in all parts of the country.

“We appreciate our security forces who have keyed into this peace policy, we are grateful to everyone in Zamfara, who have provided support for the success of this peace initiative and also call on the federal government of Nigeria to borrow a leaf from the Zamfara peace initiatives to achieve national peace.

“It is our belief that the Federal Government should offer amnesty to those repentant bandits in the North-West region, because we are convinced that these repentant bandits should be encouraged to contribute positively to society.

“The current state of affairs in Zamfara state further convinces us that peace cannot only be achieved by force; it is evidently clear that peace can also be achieved through understanding and genuine dialogue.

“This conviction comes on the heels of a similar success recorded in the Niger Delta when the late President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua granted amnesty to repentant bandits in that region,” they said.