Daudawa and members of his group also took an oath to stop banditry and embrace the peace accord instituted by Governor Bello Matawalle to end the decade-old banditry in the state.
A notorious commander of bandits known as Auwalun Daudawa from Gidan Jaja on Monday repented and surrendered the group’s weapons to the Zamfara State Government.
Daudawa and members of his group also took an oath to stop banditry and embrace the peace accord instituted by Governor Bello Matawalle to end the decade-old banditry in the state.
They were received at the Government House in Gusau, the state capital, in the presence of some traditional rulers and Islamic clerics who took turns to counsel them as their weapons were handed over to the State Police Command.
They surrendered 20 AK 47 rifles, 1 RPG, 1 PKT, 20 magazines and 72 live ammunition.
The bandits, who swore on the Holy Quran, indicated their willingness to stop banditry and embrace peace for the rest of their lives.
Zamfara, like other North-West states, has in the last 10 years faced devastating attacks from armed bandits.
In 2019, the state government entered a peace agreement with the gunmen.
But despite all these, communities in the state are still being attacked and residents kidnapped and/or killed.
About 15 brand new Hilux vehicles and cash gifts were also given to leaders of different 'repentant' banditry groups by the governor in 2020.
A top military officer recently told SaharaReporters that the bandits were carrying out attacks with some of the vehicles given to them by Matawalle.
The officer had said, “Those bandits have different groups, so if they say they repent, the governor will give them a Hilux vehicle but unfortunately they are now using the vehicles to carry out attacks.
“Like yesterday (Monday), they attacked Jankara but were resisted by the local vigilantes, so they fled and left one of those Hilux vehicles and the motorcycles they came with behind.
“It’s so sad, he called it a peace and reconciliation programme, but all you need to be rich now in Zamfara is to take up arms against the people.”