Panic has returned to Zamfara State as a result of the state government’s plan to shut down the state’s telecommunications network.
Following the rising security challenges that have ravaged the State, the Governor announced on Wednesday through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Hon. Zailani Bappa, that the government may impose stringent security measures.
The Governor made the remarks in response to the abduction of 30 youths along the Sokoto-Zamfara road last weekend, claiming that the rising activities of informants to bandits had resurfaced in the state.
He bemoaned the rise in informant activities, which are providing information to bandits who are targeting innocent citizens, and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to take more stringent measures to combat the threat, including telecommunications shutdowns if necessary.
The announcement has sparked widespread consternation in the state, as residents recall previous events that have had a significant impact on people’s economic lives.
Remember that in September 2021, the State government put in place some security measures, including the shutting down of telecommunication network services, to combat the insecurity situation that was plaguing the state.
According to reports, neighbouring states such as Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Niger have followed suit with their security measures.
Terrorist attacks on innocent citizens continued unabated despite these security measures, prompting the suspension after about two months.
Dr. Alhaji Muhammad Gusau, an activist, has commented on the matter on his Facebook page, claiming that the State government is considering shutting down telecommunication network services due to security concerns in the state.
“This will have a significant impact on the state’s economy, and it is not a wise decision.” Ordinary people were harmed when the government shut down the networks from September to October, and in some cases, until nearly December.
“All legitimate endeavours were halted, livelihoods were harmed, but the security measures yielded no positive results in terms of the security of lives and property in the State,” he said.
However, another public commentator, Alhaji Ahmed Bakare, a proponent of good governance in the state, made the following statement on Facebook:
“No record of improvement was released from Defense Headquarters when the State government first shut down telecommunication network services in 2021 because it used to release timely progress updates,” says the report.
“Neither the State government nor the Governor claimed to have had any success, except for the Governor’s claim that over a hundred informants had been apprehended.”
“Yet no suspect has been arraigned or prosecuted,” lamented the public commentator.
“Rather than ignoring communication opportunities, a serious government should use them to track down, isolate, and potentially attack criminal targets.”
“I don’t believe the people of Zamfara can afford to go through such an ordeal a second time if the state’s telecommunication network services are again shut down,” he said.
However, Hon. Zailani Bappa, the Governor’s spokesman, claims that the public misinterpreted the Governor’s statement.
Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle, according to him, stated that the security agencies would advise him and that if necessary, he would shut down telecommunication network services.
