The closure of all markets across Zamfara State as part of security measures to curb banditry and other crimes has begun to take its toll on communities as many business people and breadwinners have been rendered idle and can no longer afford to feed their families.
Governor Bello Mattawale of Zamfara State had, a couple of weeks ago, shut down the markets and imposed restrictions on movement on selected routes.
Mattawale also set up a task force comprising security agencies to enforce the rules and regulations geared towards curbing the activities of bandits terrorising the state.
Consequently, economic activities across the urban areas especially within Gusau the state capital, and other strategic places have been crippled.
It was observed that these measures have resulted in serious hunger among the teeming populace especially as the bans and restrictions on weekly market sessions, sales of fuel, firewood and charcoal, movements of motorbikes fitted with clutch systems and the restricted banking services were still in force.
The restrictions have negatively impacted the prices of some commodities such as charcoal which was sold at N1,500 to N2,000 per bag has now skyrocketed to N7,000, while a bag of rice which was sold at N20,000 to N23,000 also rapidly increased to N30,000.
Thousands of small scale traders have lost their businesses across the state amidst the whirlpool of security measures including the activities of the task force committee constituted to tackle the nefarious activities of the bandits and their informants in various communities.
The Attorney General of the state, Junaidu Aminu, who declared that the supply of foods into the state should be allowed unhindered, lamented that reports reaching him indicate that a sachet of Spaghetti now sells for N1,500 at Dansadau District due to scarcity of food items.
Meanwhile, reports by some fleeing members of the devastated communities revealed that the activities of bandits were still rampant in remote villages where they indulge in breaking into shops in search of food.
A villager from Kungurki village under Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state, simply identified as ‘Malam Dankande,’ narrated that the bandits stormed their village a couple of weeks ago and embarked on breaking shops in search of foods while others were shooting sporadically to scare away people.
(New Telegraph)
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