The Commandant of Zamfara State’s Community Protection Guards, Colonel Rabiu Garba (retd), has been suspended by the state government. This decision was communicated in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Nakwada, and released to the press on Wednesday.
The statement announced, without specifying any reasons, the suspension of Colonel Rabiu Garba as the state Commandant of the Protection Guards, effective immediately.
Recent reports suggest that Garba criticized the state government’s lack of financial support for the Protection Guards during a radio interview on Vision FM Radio Gusau.
He highlighted the inadequate funding and resources provided to the Protection Guards since its establishment in January, emphasizing that the government had not allocated the necessary financial backing or operational essentials.
Garba disclosed that the guards had received their salaries only once in the four months since their appointment, attributing their operational challenges to insufficient funding from the state government, which severely hampered their anti-banditry efforts.
Expressing his frustration, Garba pointed out the government’s failure to provide fuel for their patrol vehicles, making it extremely challenging to combat bandits effectively.
He criticized the lack of financial support, mentioning that his personal expenses covered fuel for operations, which he found unacceptable given their crucial role in tackling criminal activities.
Garba accused certain individuals within the government of undermining Governor Dauda Lawal’s anti-banditry initiatives for personal gains, highlighting the challenges in communicating these concerns to the governor.
He stated that if the situation did not improve, members of the Protection Guards would be compelled to resign from their positions to avoid further escalation.