Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamafara State has said there are about 30,000 bandits in Zamfara and five other northern states.
The governor added that there are over 100 bandits’ camps across the states, with each having no fewer than 300 members.
The governor spoke through the state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, at a news briefing in Kaduna on Friday.
He identified the affected states as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger.
He said with less than 6,000 troops operating across the North-West states, it was obvious that the Nigerian government lack adequate manpower to tackle banditry in the region.
