The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested several high-profile individuals, including a member of the State House of Assembly and a former local government chairman, in connection with banditry in the state.
Commissioner of Police Muhammad Dalijan disclosed this while hosting Thomas Parker, the officer in charge of the Counterterrorism Unit under the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), at the command headquarters in Gusau, Zamfara State, as reported by Channels TV.
Although CP Dalijan did not disclose the names of those arrested, he highlighted the significance of the arrests and called for the establishment of a forensic laboratory in Zamfara to expedite criminal investigations.
“We currently face the challenge of having to travel to Lagos for forensic analysis,” Dalijan noted.
He urged the UN to replicate in Zamfara the support provided in Maiduguri, including training on investigation and the establishment of forensic laboratories.
These measures, he said, would enhance the investigation and prosecution of suspected criminals.
Dalijan also mentioned a reduction in crime rates in Zamfara, attributing it to the collaborative efforts of security agencies and Community Protection Guards (CPGs) in flushing out suspected terrorists who migrated from Maiduguri to Zamfara State in Northwest Nigeria.
In response, Parker stated that their visit to Zamfara was in response to an appeal from Governor Dauda Lawal for UN assistance in tackling insecurity in the state.
Parker indicated the UN’s readiness to conduct an assessment of the security situation to better understand the causes and challenges and how to address the threats.
The UNODC team has embarked on a three-day stakeholders’ engagement in Zamfara to gather information on the scope, challenges, and major drivers of insecurity, aiming to provide effective support in addressing the menace.
