Federal Goverment on Thursday chided Zamfara State Governor, Mr Abdulaziz Yari, over the festering banditry in the state.

It also accused Yari of abdicating his responsibility as the state's chief security officer, saying that’s not good governance.

Minister of Interior, Mr Abdulrahman Dambazzau, disclosed this at Presidential Villa in Abuja during a panel session at the opening of 67th International Press Institute Congress.

The panel was hosted by president of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and chief executive officer of Channels TV, Mr John Momoh.

The minister stated that good governance was the solution to killings in Zamfara State, saying even if Yari was given all the soldiers in the world, he still could not tackle the problem.

Dambazzau, who maintained that security of states is the responsibility of governors, said: "Good governance is the final solution to the security challenges in Zamfara, it is not the number of soldiers.

"It is not good governance for the governor of Zamfara to say he is withdrawing as chief security officer. Even if he is given all the soldiers in the world, he can't use those forces to deal with those issues."

He disclosed that the Federal Goverment would carry out biometrics registration of all regular migrants who had overstayed in Nigeria to monitor their movement.

Speaking against the backdrop of the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in parts of Nigeria, Dambazza said Nigeria Immigration Service would take charge of the database of all Nigerians including green cards holders.

"Ministry of Interior has established a situation room that is connected to border posts that will enable effective monitoring of what is happening at our borders. I will also be able to see what is happening from that situation room," he said.

Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, said more lives were lost to cattle rustling in Zamfara State than to the clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Benue State.

He blamed the clashes on fallout of demographic pressure and criminality.

Daily Trust