Eleven livestock markets have been shut down by the Governor of Zamfara State Dauda Lawal in an effort to combat banditry and other forms of insecurity in the region.
Munnir Haidara, the Zamfara Commissioner of Information, said on Wednesday that the markets closures were a reaction to security-related reports.
According to these allegations, Bandits were using the markets as a venue to sell the cows they had stolen.
The Tsafe and Bilbis markets in the Tsafe local government, the Jangebe market in the Talata-Mafara local government, and the Wuya market in the Anka local government are among the impacted marketplaces, according to Haidara.
The other ones are the markets in Mada, Gusau, Galadi, Maradun, and Birnin Magaji local governments; Magamin Diddi market in Maradun; and Sabon Birnin Danali in Birnin Magaji local government.
Speaking about the development, the state government stated that when perceptive reports revealed dishonest activity taking place within the markets, it became imperative to close them.
Additionally, the information commissioner stated that anyone discovered on the markets property will be arrested by the authorities.
The markets are shut till further notice, he added; “The state government finds it necessary to close down these markets due to security reports that the bandits are conniving with some unscrupulous elements to sell off their rustled cows in those markets.
“The security personnel have since been directed to arrest any person found in these affected markets,” he noted.
