Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has accused some officials of the Federal Government of secret negotiations with some bandit groups in the state.

Mr Lawal made the accusation in a statement issued on Monday by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Sulaiman Idris.

The governor alleged that the officials have been holding secret meetings with different terrorist groups in Birnin Magaji, Maradun, Mun haye, Ajah, Bawo, and Bagege without the knowledge of the state government.

While calling for an investigation into the matter, Mr Lawal accused the officials of sabotaging the state government’s efforts in the fight against banditry.

He maintained that the move is at variance with the state government’s kinetic strategy in the fight against banditry.

The statement said: “Governor Dauda Lawal wishes to call on the Federal Government to clarify and investigate the actions of some unscrupulous elements sabotaging the ongoing fight against banditry in Zamfara.

“The Zamfara State Government has received reports of how some Federal Government delegations met with different bandit groups in Birnin Magaji, Maradun, Mun Haye, Ajah, Bawo, and Bagege.

“Previous administrations in the state failed to achieve positive outcomes in their attempts to engage in dialogue with bandits. We must learn from these past mistakes and adopt a new approach to restore peace in Zamfara.

“The Zamfara State Government has taken a firm stance from the beginning—we will not negotiate with these criminals.

“Ensuring the fight against banditry is a top priority of Zamfara State Government, and we cannot afford to make any compromises in our efforts. We urge the Federal Government to take swift action by terminating the ongoing negotiations with the bandits in Zamfara, as it undermines progress so far.”