Defence Chief, Musa, Zamfara Gov In Closed-Door Meeting

The Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, and the governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, are currently in a meeting at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

While specifics of the discussion are yet to be revealed, it is anticipated that the meeting will address the dire security issues plaguing the state.

Governor Lawal, accompanied by his aides and security detail, arrived at the military headquarters around 12:22 pm. Maj.-Gen. Musa was joined by other top-ranking military officers within the Armed Forces Complex.

An anonymous official that spoke with Daily Trust said that the military is under scrutiny to definitively address the rampant banditry in Zamfara State, which is likely the primary topic of the meeting.

“Besides exchanging pleasantries, they will discuss strategic ways to handle the security challenges in the governor’s state, as well as in other parts of the country,” the official said.

Zamfara State in the northwest has been a hotbed of violence, with the latest incident involving the death of four policemen at a state checkpoint.

Bandits have wreaked havoc in the state over the last few years, leading to hundreds of deaths and raising concern among both local and international communities.

Recently, Sani Yerima, a former governor of the state, asked President Bola Tinubu to negotiate with the terror groups operating in Zamfara and other parts of the Northwest, drawing parallels with the amnesty program initiated by former President Umar Yar’Adua for the Niger Delta militants. However, Governor Lawal opposed this proposal.