Zamfara governor Bello Matawalle has lamented the spate of killings by bandits in the state, saying “things are getting worse by the day.”

Addressing a press conference, Mr Matawalle, who has embarked on dialogue with the bandits recently, on Sunday said efforts to dialogue with bandits have proven abortive. 

His statement comes after bandits attack over the weekend left over 40 persons dead in the Zumi Local Government Area. 

“As you are aware, the most recent one is the attack on Kadawa in Zumi Local Government Area. The report we received confirmed that bandits killed about 45 innocent people,” Mr Matawalle said. 

He further said things are getting worse as bandits have continued to kill and displace people across the state regardless of the effort of his government to dialogue with them to drop their arms. 

“The marauders kill without regard for any rule of sanity. Women, the elderly and children are not spared. As a result, a large number of people have been displaced in nearly every town in the state,” Mr Matawalle said.

“Things took a dramatic turn and things are getting worse by the day. It is clear that some invisible hands are plotting heavily against our people with the goal of making our state as terrifying as it were in the years gone bye.” 

In the past five months, killings and kidnapping for ransom has heightened in northwestern state’s of Zamfara, Niger, Katsina and Kaduna as bandits continue to launch attacks on schools and communities.