The Zamfara state Police Command and Traditional Rulers have agreed to work closely in areas of information sharing and intelligence gathering in rural communities, to help tackle cattle rustling and other criminal activities in the state.
The new Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Femi Ogunbayode who disclosed this during an exclusive interview with Channels Television in his office, expressed his willingness to work closely with traditional rulers and community leaders in all the emirate councils across Zamfara state aimed at reducing the level of crime in the state.
He further stated that community policing would go a long way in restoring peace and order in all troubled areas.
The Commissioner who said he had undertaken a tour of all the local government areas and emirate councils where he met with the traditional rulers and other stakeholders, expressed satisfaction with the amount of commitment and cooperation he received from them, adding that such support would assist the police in the fight against cattle rustlers and other social vices in the State.
The new Zamfara State Police commissioner, has embarked on a familiarisation tour of the state since he resumed office.
Amongst key stakeholders visited were traditional rulers in the state to seek support for efforts to rout criminals out of Zamfara State.
He also addressed politicians and told them the need to conduct their electioneering campaigns in orderly manner.
According to him, such mutual cooperation with those at the grassroots and all other critical stakeholders is key in the fight against crime across the state, assuring that the confidentiality of sources of information about criminals would be maintained by the command.
He further stated that, though the challenges of cattle rustling remain a big problem in Zamfara, with information sharing and intelligence gathering between the Police and other stakeholders, the phenomenon would reduce drastically.
The Police Commissioner also disclosed that the command had arrested some political thugs who would be charged to court soon.
He vowed to deal decisively with trouble makers who may want to destabilize the peace of the state during the forthcoming elections.
While acknowledging the effort of the police in the fight against crime in the state, the Emir of Anka and Chairman of Zamfara State council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad assured the determination and willingness of the traditional institution to assist the Police and other security agencies in their operations, geared in making the state crime free.
Zamfara State has been in the news over the activities of cow rustlers, a development, which the state government and the police said they had been trying to curtail.
Since 2010, some local government areas ; Bukuyum, Zurmi, Birnin Magaji and Tsafe local had been under the siege of cattle rustlers, who attacked herdsmen with reckless abandon and leave them with varying degree of losses. In most cases, the hoodlums ended up killing scores of people and stealing their cows.
It was estimated that over 100,000 cows had been stolen from herdsmen by the hoodlums.