Arewa Integrity and Leadership Forum has raised alarm over a viral video in which Wamban Shinkafi claimed he knows the identities and hideouts of bandit leaders terrorising Zamfara.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum, its Secretary, Yusuf Ilyasu Usman, described the revelations as dangerous, shocking and deeply suspicious.
He said Shinkafi’s bold declaration that he has the names of bandits, knows their operational zones and has held private meetings with them raises troubling questions.
The Forum wondered how an ordinary political actor could possess sensitive information that security agencies have struggled for years to obtain.
Usman warned that such familiarity with violent criminals suggests possible alliances or motives that must not be ignored while innocent citizens face daily threats of kidnapping and attacks.
He said it was unacceptable for anyone to boast about knowing the exact hideouts of killers and still move freely while granting interviews as though he were a concerned patriot.
According to him, no responsible nation allows an individual claiming access to violent criminals to remain without interrogation.
The Forum therefore urged the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest and interrogate Shinkafi.
It argued that anyone with knowledge of the identities, hideouts and strategies of murderers must be questioned without delay, as such information is far from ordinary.
They warned that failure to act would send a dangerous message that individuals can associate with criminals causing widespread suffering while the state looks away.
The Forum insisted that people of Zamfara deserve clarity and protection, and security agencies must determine whether Shinkafi’s comments suggest collaboration, sponsorship or direct involvement.
It concluded by calling on the DSS, NIA and Police to treat the matter as a national security emergency, adding that no one who claims to know where killers hide should remain free until the truth is fully established.
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