NIGERIA’S Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has said that some influential traditional rulers in the North were responsible for the killings and kidnappings going on relentlessly in Zamfara State in recent months.

Dan-Ali made this known via a statement he issued on Tuesday, assuring, however, that the federal government was intensifying efforts at returning peace to the troubled state and its environs.

While calling on the people of Zamfara and its neighbouring states to rise in unison with the federal government to fight the menace, the Minister stressed that the people profiting from the crisis would soon be known.

“It is instructive to mention here that insurgency and terrorism are global phenomena that cannot be addressed through military actions only,” Dan-Ali said.

“However, in spite of the concerted efforts of the Armed Forces and other security some unpatriotic persons including highly placed traditional rulers in the areas were identified as helping the bandits with intelligence to perpetuate their nefarious actions or to compromise military operations.”

On Monday, the federal government announced a ban on all mining activities in Zamfara as part of efforts at boosting security in the State. All foreigners operating in mining sites across the state were ordered to leave within 48 hours and any mining company that goes ahead with operations would have its license revoked.

The directive followed a peaceful protest carried out by concerned citizens in Abuja on Saturday, demanding for more proactive efforts to stem the tide of killings and kidnappings being carried out by unknown armed men in Zamfara and other states in the North West.