Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has signed an anti-banditry and other related offences bill into law.
The law has the death penalty as the punishment for persons found guilty of banditry and other related offences, and comes into force immediately.
The other offences include banditry, cattle rustling, cultism, and kidnapping.
The law was passed by the state legislature on Monday and signed by the governor on Tuesday.
Shortly after its signing, Governor Matawalle said the law would help to address the growing insecurity in the state.
“Today, we have signed the bill on the Prohibition and Punishment for Banditry, Cattle Rustling, Cultism, Kidnapping and Other Incidental Offences, 2022.
“You may recall that yesterday (Monday) I inaugurated four security-related committees, as part of our counter-banditry initiatives.
“Formation of the committees is aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of the security measures being taken to end the over-decade-old banditry and other security-related challenges,” he said.
The Governor noted that he had earlier signed Executive Orders 7, 8,9, and 10, which provided the legal instruments and operational guidelines for the committees.
According to him, the most fundamental focus of governance anywhere in the world is security.
The Governor caused a stir last week when he encouraged residents of Zamfara State to arm and defend themselves against bandits and kidnappers.
