Zamfara Denies Attempt To Subvert ‘No-Fly Zone’ Order

The Zamfara State Government has denied reports that the state tried to subvert President Muhammadu Buhari’s order on the no-flying zone.

Some presidential officials who spoke to The Punch had accused Governor Bello Matawalle of trying to subvert Buhari’s directive.

But reacting to the report, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, insists that Governor Matawalle respected the rules at always.

“Bello Matawalle is a governor of his state; the NSA is an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari; and the Minister of Mines is a minister of the Federal Republic directly answerable to the President.

“How will they be at loggerheads with the governor of Zamfara State? The governor, being a former lawmaker, respects the rule of law at any time,” Dosara said.

He also denied allegations that most of the illegal miners were linked to banditry and the state government ignored the destruction of villages where mining was taking place.

Dosara said: “How about the bandits operating in Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto, where there is no illegal mining taking place?

“I don’t understand what you mean by saying the Zamfara State Government ignored the destruction of villages where mining is taking place.

“Are you not the same people indicating that mining is exclusively under the control of the Federal Government?

“Has the Federal Government not placed embargo on illegal mining since before the coming of the present administration? What connects Zamfara Government with this issue then?”