The Army has accused some traditional rulers in the North of aiding and abetting the bandits who have been terrorising the area in the recent times.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali said some top traditional rulers in the communities in the affected states were “compromising military operations” even as he disclosed that the Federal Government had ordered the security agencies to tackle banditry and killings in Zamfara State and the entire North-West geopolitical zone.
In the statement signed by Col. Tukur Gusau the Defence Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Dan-Ali expressed concern about the security challenges in North-West disclosing that the Army had begun an exercise code named Harbin Kunama IV in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states.
“The ministry is very concerned about the security challenges in the North-West, particularly in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kaduna states. Due to the prevailing security situation in the states, the Nigerian Army is already conducting Exercise Harbin Kunama IV in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states.
“The purpose of the exercise is to effectively flush criminal elements out of the North-West. The Nigerian Air Force has also intensified air strikes against bandits in Zamfara. So far, the combined efforts have yielded a lot of successes leading to the killing of many bandits and rescuing of many persons, including a renowned Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Suleiman.
“The government is also addressing the remote and immediate causes that gave room for the high spate of banditry in the states. Recently, the government acted on the advice of the Ministry of Defence to suspend all mining activities in Zamfara State and its environs, following an intelligence report that suggested a close collaboration between the activities of the bandits and illegal miners.
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“However, in spite of the concerted efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies, 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.”
“Presently, the tactical headquarters of 8 Division has since relocated to Gusau. Similarly, the Nigerian Air Force also established a Quick Response Force in Gusau and landing areas in Gusau and Birnin Magaji respectively,” the minister said.
He noted that the relocated Division 8 would cover Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Zamfara states. The statement also noted that the headquarters of 1 Brigade was relocated from Sokoto to Gusau in Zamfara.
Dan-Ali warned that the forces would go after “any person or group of persons who choose to connive or sympathise with the bandits to perpetuate crimes against law-abiding citizens no matter how highly placed the person or persons may be.”
Meanwhile, the Next Edition gathered that the apex northern socio-cultural group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, has scheduled a meeting of its board of trustees for Wednesday, April 11 to discuss the increase in the activities of bandits in the North.
