Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has asserted that his administration possesses substantial evidence indicating that certain Federal Government officials conducted covert meetings with bandits in the state.

Earlier, Governor Lawal had claimed that certain agencies under the leadership of Bola Tinubu's government were engaged in secret dialogues with the bandits after ruling out the option of negotiating with criminals.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the governor stated that some government agencies had initiated negotiations with the bandits without the knowledge of the state government and other security entities.

Governor Lawal consequently called for a prompt and comprehensive investigation by the Tinubu government into these clandestine negotiations conducted with bandits in the state by these agencies.

In response to these allegations, the Federal Government denied the existence of secret negotiations with bandits in Zamfara. However, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, accused the Zamfara government of politicizing security matters in the state.

Governor Lawal countered the minister's remarks by claiming that he possessed evidence that would expose certain Federal Government representatives involved in negotiations with bandits. He emphasized that the Minister of Information should have conducted a thorough investigation before discrediting his government's claims.

The governor further urged the federal government to take a resolute stance against such activities and to investigate the motivations of those engaging in negotiations with criminals. He clarified that the state government sought clarification from the Federal Government regarding these secretive negotiations with bandits, emphasizing that the individuals leading these talks were politicizing security matters, not the State Government. Governor Lawal asserted that negotiating with bandits in Zamfara was a grave mistake that should be avoided as it does not provide a solution and only serves to embolden the criminals.