A delegation from the West African Action Network on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) in Africa, an international non-governmental agency, recently concluded a fact-finding tour of Zamfara State. The organisation, a coalition of civil society groups dedicated to addressing small arms and light weapons issues and promoting human security, focused its visit on assessing security, peace, and economic development in the border states affected by insecurity.
The regional vice president in charge of West Africa, Igwe Martin, led the delegation in actively engaging with key stakeholders in the region. This included meetings with the management of Federal University Gusau, the Federal College of Education Technical in Gusau, and the state leadership of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Gusau on Thursday, Mr. Martin stated that the purpose of the visit was to find ways to work together to revive the good image of Zamfara.
“We are here to interact with relevant stakeholders and discuss extensively how to work together to revive the good image of Zamfara in the areas of peace and economic development. We are here on a fact-finding visit to gather real information about the security situation in Zamfara,” he said.
He stressed the need for precise information, stating that the data acquired would be presented at the upcoming border security conference scheduled to take place in Istanbul in April. Mr. Martin pointed out the organisation’s concern about Zamfara and other sections of the country’s security concerns.
The delegation was given assurances throughout the visit by the vice chancellor of Federal University Gusau, Prof. Mu’azu Abubakar; the provost of Federal College of Education Technical, Gusau, Dr. Hauwa’u Muktar; and the commander of the state Vigilante Group, Bashir Nafi’u, that they would collaborate to find long-term solutions to the state’s security issues.
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