Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state has advocated for the extension of retirement age of Army, Police and other security officers to 70 years.

Speaking in Maradun town, his country home when he received coalition of civil society organizations who conducted a peaceful rally in support of the recent security measures of the Governor on residents bearing arms.

Matawalle asserted that, the federal government can extend the retirement of medical doctors, University lecturers and Judges why not security officers.

He stressed that majority of the army and police were retiring at a point they can perform better.

“The federal government need to look at the age of retirement for army, police and other security officers with a view to extend it to 70 years like those in judiciary, academics and medical line”, he added.

He lamented that, series of measures were adopted by his administration in order to end the act of banditry but all in vain.

“We started dialogue with the bandits, we closed markets and sales of petroleum and also, shutdown telecoms networks but never work,”, he said.

Therefore, as state Governor who have absolute control of the army, police and other security agents what would remain as an option was to ask residents to take arms to defend themselves against bandits.

Earlier on, leader of the coalition of civil society organizations in the state Adamu Kwatarkwashi said the coalition were in Maradun town, the country home of the Governor to express their support for the new security measures introduced by the state government.

“We are solidly behind the security measures you have introduced recently, as the killing of people in Zamfara has reached it’s climax and we can no longer keep silent untill the problem is addressed”, he added.

Kwatarkwashi, however said for several years the federal government has failed to take appropriate measures to end the killings in Zamfara state and other state in the North West.