Eleven governors in the North-West, in collaboration with the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Muhammed, on Thursday banned herdsmen from carrying arms in public places, including markets and places of worship.
These were part of the four-point resolutions arrived at, after a four and a half hours meeting of 11 Northern state governors with the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Muhammed, in Katsina.
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, who read the communique after the meeting, said similarly, volunteer groups, known as Yansakai, have been banned in all the states that make up the North-West of the country.
The volunteer groups were also directed to surrender all weapons in their possession, following their ban.
“That the repentant bandits, including the Yansakai, should surrender all arms and ammunition in their possession to the authorities and release people that are in their captivity.”
Governor Masari said secretaries to the governments of the 11 states that attended the meeting have been directed to stay behind and further perfect the resolutions.
In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said that nobody is allowed to attack or kill anybody in the name of vigilante or volunteer group.
He also said that anybody caught killing innocent people would be pursued by the police and prosecuted.
NAN