Governor Yari of Zamfara, chairman of NGF

Zamfara state government has made clarification with regard to its offer of N1 million reward to “anyone” who recovers AK 47 rifle from bandits in the state,  saying security personnel are exempted from the reward.

Speaking at press conference organised by the Operation Sharan Daji in Gusau on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Public Enlightenment, Ibrahim Dosara said, “such beneficiaries do not include the security operatives.

“The gesture was introduced by the state government as an incentive to members of the public to assist the security agencies in the recovery of illegal firearms as part of effort to curtail crime and criminal activities in the state, ” he said.

He said, the military as custodians of arms were supposed to check and seize all illegal firearms in the hands of individuals and groups in order to ensure a peaceful and violent free society.

The governor’s aide was responding to a question whether military personnel who recently recovered 24 AK 47 rifles from bandits in the state would receive their commensurate reward of N24 million as promised by governor Abdulaziz Yari.

About three weeks ago the governor promised that “Anyone who seizes an AK 47 rifle from an illegal holder and brings it to the state government will receive a cash reward of N1 million and if any person or group brings 100 AK 47 rifles, the reward of N100 million will definitely be given.”

Speaking at the press conference, the Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. John Agim said in recent encounters with the armed bandits in the state, soldiers of the expanded Operation Sharan Daji now known as “Operation 777” recovered a total of 24 AK 47 rifles from the bandits among other sophisticated and locally made firearms and ammunition.