Beyond the suspension of mining in Zamfara

There have been a lot of theories on the killings in Zamfara State, and on many occasions they have linked the killings to illegal mining activities in the state. But I do not think that is the only reason killings are going on in that area. In my view, for the issue to be tackled, […]

There have been a lot of theories on the killings in Zamfara State, and on many occasions they have linked the killings to illegal mining activities in the state. But I do not think that is the only reason killings are going on in that area.

In my view, for the issue to be tackled, government needs to address cattle rustling, extreme poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, poor welfare of the security men and  improve intelligence gathering /sharing among security agencies.

The alleged complicity by some security agencies in the attacks because of financial benefits should be investigated. Something should also be done about the large and thick unsecured forests around the area.

Protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of every government anywhere in the world, so our government must rise to the occasion and provide lasting solution to the problem.

Nurudeen Dauda can be reached at: [email protected]