Zamfara state Governor Bello Matawalle has visited Anka and Bukkuyum Local Governments to commiserate with the people of the affected areas and assess the level of damages done to the victims of recent armed bandit attacks.
The Governor, who was accompanied by some members of the state executive council and all security chiefs, decried misrepresentation of fact by some section of the media regarding the tragic incident.
According to the official statement issued to journalists in Gusau said, the Governor went to the affected areas to see things for himself and assess the level of damage done by the serial attacks launched at the various communities in the two affected local government areas of the state.
The Governor also paid courtesy visit to the two monarchs of Anka and Bukkuyum where he commiserates with them over the tragic incident.
The emirs, who gave the Governor authentic list of villages attacked and the list of victims who lost their lives, wondered where some sections of the media got their figures reported as an aftermath of the attack.
According to the statement, the actual figure of casualties recorded involving the two Emirates stood at (22) for Anka emirate and (36) for Bukkuyum local government.
The statement added that seven villages were involved in Anka emirate, while one village is also affected in Bukkuyum emirate council.
The two Emirs called on the Governor to continue with his laudable effort of fighting banditry in the State.
The Governor who expressed sadness over the tragic incident promised to continue to take decisive measures that are aimed to bringing an end to the humanitarian crises arising from the armed bandit attacks.
e then decried the noticeable slide in factual reportage by the media, who have variously quoted scary figures of deaths arising from the recent attacks in the two affected local government areas.
The Governor Matawalle said: “It is also obvious that my administration is not only threatened by bandits in the bush but also political bandits in our towns and villages.
“These are those politicians who manipulate the crisis for political gains, and the informants who aid the bandits in their nefarious activities. But we shall conquer all by the strength of the Almighty Allah,” he assured.
The Governor announced that the state government would, henceforth, treat those who report deliberate lies about bandits escapades as terrorists as well.
“We cannot fold our arms and allow people to always create panic and paint a gorier picture of actual happenings in the state. We are faced with a big trial which we are doing our best to address.
“There is no justification for anyone to wish us deeper trouble than where our people are today”, Governor Matawalle warned
Former Speaker of Zamfara House of Assembly Sanusi Garba Rikiji of the APC has scored a total of (229) votes to defeat the PDP who polls (61) votes only.
His poling unit is Rumfar Galadima (013) in Gusau the capital city of Zamfara State.
As for the result of the state house of assembly in his poling units, APC scored a total of (232) to defeat the PDP who polls (51) votes.
Rikiji is currently the house of reps candidate for Gusau and Tsafe in the 2023 election, whose election was declared inclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He is contesting the seat together with the serving members Kabiru Amadu Mai Palace, who is from the opposition PDP.
The Chairman of Zamfara State Board of Internal Revenue Service, Ali Akilu Dama Bungudu has also delivered his poling unit.
His party the APC scored a total (173) to defeat the PDP who scored (111) votes.
Similar votes were also recorded for both political parties at the level of State assembly elections.
Similarly, Zamfara State Commissioner for Works Rabiu Garba Gusau has delivered his poling units with a wide margin to defeat the PDP.
APC scored (96) votes to defeat the opposition People’s Democratic Party, which scored (16) votes for both the Governorship election and state assembly for Gusau (1) at his poling unit.
A political ally of former Governor Yari Sha’ayau Yusuf S. Paws has defeated PDP in his Township Primary school poling unit in Talatar Marafa local government area of Zamfara State.
According to an official result sheet, the politician who is a member of All Progressives Congress (APC) scored (502) votes to defeat the PDP who scored (0) votes.
The politician has made history since 2015 by maintaining the only poling units which opposition party has never won a single vote during election.
He repeated the same history during the 2023 Presidential and national assembly elections conducted three weeks back, when PDP failed to score a single vote.