Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has said that dialogue remains the best solution to tackle banditry and kidnapping in the country.
The governor made this known to newsmen in Yola, the Adamawa capital, on Wednesday.
Gov. Matawale was in Adamawa on an official visit to witness the inauguration of the second phase of rural road projects, and distribution of maintenance equipment at Kuva-Gaya in Hong Local Government Area of the state.
According to the governor, negotiating with bandits is in the interest of promoting peace in Zamfara, the North West region, and the country at large.
He noted that the best and only option to douse tension and bring an end to banditry in Zamfara and other states is for government officials to embrace dialogue.
Matawalle encouraged bandits interested in dialogue to come forward, saying that government officials would sit with them and listen to their grievances.
“I have been always saying the best solution and option to tackle banditry is to seek for dialogue with the bandits,” he was quoted to have said.
“If really we want to end this banditry activity, we have to sit at a roundtable and negotiate, because through dialogue and reconciliation, we were able to secure the release of many people who were under the captivity of kidnappers.
“So, the best way out for my colleagues, governors, is for them to subscribe to dialogue.