A renowned cleric, Sheikh Abdurrahman Azzamfari, has called for prayers and support for the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher G. Musa, for their tireless efforts in combating banditry in the northern region.
This was, even as, the Cleric has exposed those he described as “enemies of the people”, who do not want the insurgencies to end, but cashing on it for political gains.
Azzamfari, who spoke in Hausa language at a public lecture delivered at the weekend, x-ray the growing security challenges in Zamfara State, highlighting the dangerous forces working behind the scenes to perpetuate violence and unrest in the state, while commending the ongoing efforts of key government figures to restore peace.
According to the cleric, selfish interests and ignorance have been key drivers of the insecurity plaguing Zamfara. In his words, “This problem is like the case of two elephants fighting; who will suffer the most? The grass.”
Sheikh Azzamfari made it clear that the people of Zamfara are the ultimate victims of this ongoing conflict, which, he asserts, is being driven by powerful individuals who benefit from the continued violence.
“The insecurity in the north is a huge problem and there are many factors involved – like personal interest, politics, illiteracy; and only almighty God can put an end to it.
“Some people don’t want to see the end of insecurity because if it ends, some people’s political stake has come to an end; and they don’t want that because they want to use it for campaign in 2027 elections.
“And for some people, if insecurity stops they loose their source of income, while some people don’t want it stopped because the person that stops it will get huge credit and they can’t stand to see that.
“For these kind of people, they would rather see everyone suffer than lose their interest, and these people are big people with a lot of power, the more they clash, the more the poor masses suffer”, the Cleric asserted.
The cleric praised the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Matawalle, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, for fighting the insurgencies, pointing out that, “these leaders have become targets of those who do not want to see peace return to the state”.
He said, “these people do not want the good efforts that Matawalle is making to end this incessant violence to come to fruition. They cannot afford to allow Matawalle or Christopher Musa to take the credit for ending this menace.
“Some people think if Matawalle and Christopher Musa succeed, they will get a huge credit and they don’t want that, we pray to God to resolve this issue and help them in their endeavor”.
In his closing remarks, he urged all believing Muslims to include Dr. Matawalle and General Musa in their prayers, imploring divine intervention to help these leaders overcome the evil forces plotting against them.
His call for solidarity emphasized the need for unity in supporting genuine efforts aimed at ending the banditry in Zamfara, while condemning those who are determined to undermine such initiatives for their own selfish gain.