Zamfara Gov: We've Secured Release of 300 Kidnap Victims

As AFREXIMBANK invests $1bn in the state

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has disclosed that about 300 people have been rescued by the state government from cattle rustlers, bandits and kidnappers, adding that the victims were freed less than two months of his administration.

The governor, who made this known in Abuja at the weekend while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the President of Africa Export Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), Prof Benedict Oramah, for the bank's investment of $1billion in critical sectors of the state, stated that his administration had secured the release of 300 people who had for long been held captive by kidnappers, rustlers and other bandits.

According to him, those held captive were released without the payment of any ransom by the state government. 

"Our administration is committed to a fully secure state, and we have started that by engaging the bandits in peace move, which they have accepted to lay down their arms.

"As at today, we have secured the release of over 300 people who were in captivity. Securing of the release of these people was done without any commitment; no ransom was paid to the abductors. So we assure you that Zamfara State is safe for investors, they can come to the state for investment, as the government is committed to making sure that everything is put in place to guarantee their security," he said.

Speaking on the bank's proposed investment of $1 billion in the state, the governor disclosed that discussion on the development-driven investment started a fortnight ago when he and other state officials "met with some AFREXIM Bank officials in Dubai through the facilitation of the managing director of Heritage Bank who promised to connect us with Afreximbank president which culminated in the $1billion investments which the bank decided to bring to the state."

According to Matawalle, the investment wouldn't have been possible if the problem of insecurity was not tackled in the state.

He said:  "Zamfara State, as you are all aware, had so many issues before my emergence as the governor, for which reason and to a limited time-just a month-God helped us to tackle some of these issues.

"Today, we can call Zamfara a peaceful state in Nigeria. For your information, for the first time in four weeks, there has been no report of any incident of kidnapping or killings.”

Matawale expressed gratitude to the bank for the investment of about $1 billion, which will cover manufacturing, power, infrastructure, mining and agriculture.

"We assure you that we have all the potential to utilise the funds to move the state forward," he said.

Speaking earlier, the bank President, Oramah, said the bank investments would cut across manufacturing and other sectors in the state for the purposes of opening it up for the required development as against poverty-driven violence in the state.

According to Oramah, the MoU on the multifaceted investments is anchored on Public Private Partnership (PPP) , requiring the state government and Afrexim Bank to leverage on the resources in the state for the general good of the people.

He said: "We had a very fruitful meeting with the delegation from Zamfara State led by the governor. In AFREXIM Bank, we are pleased that the leadership of the state has a clear vision.

"They have identified clearly the strengths of their state; the opportunities and what they need to unlock these opportunities. They have decided to take their own destiny in their hands, which is actually the foundation of the federal structure that we operate in Nigeria, that states should do all they can to maximise the use of the resources they have for the benefit of their people, so that collectively, we can grow and take the economy of Nigeria to a greater height.”