The Zamfara State Government has declared that there are over 700,000 (seven hundred thousand) Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state as a result of banditry activities.
The State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, made the announcement during a joint press conference with the State Commissioner for Security and Internal Affairs, DIG Mamman Tsafe, in Kaduna.
According to him, the government had established a Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with eight centers spread across the state to care for the IDPs.
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“Each of the State’s 14 local government areas now has emergency relief desk officers shouldering the responsibilities of assisting IDPs in their respective local government,” he explained.
Dosara went on to say that the government and international donor agencies had provided food, clothing, beds, and mattresses to alleviate the hardships faced by the IDPs.
“These donor agencies supplement the State government’s efforts by transferring cash to our IDPs on a regular basis, ranging from N30,000 to N40,000.”
“The Federal Government has also committed a large sum in this regard.” “The Zamfara State government is grateful to everyone who helps to alleviate the concerns of these innocent people across the state,” he said.
In response to the State’s security challenges, Hon. Dosara stated that the government had recruited over 4,000 200 residents as Community Protection Guards.
“These protection guards are made up of ex-servicemen, volunteer able-bodied men, and other patriotic citizens who care about the state,” he explained.
Regarding the bandit peace efforts, he stated that after the initial dialogue with the bandits, as well as the peace reconciliation efforts, there was relative peace as the majority of the bandits succumbed to the peace process.
However, he claimed that the few who refused the government’s request to lay down their arms have become thorns in the flesh of residents.
