The Nigerian Government has warned all persons and groups conniving with bandits to carry out attacks in the north-west region to retract their steps.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, issued the warning on behalf of the government in a statement on Tuesday by his Public Relations Officer, Colonel Tukur Gusau.
He said the Ministry of Defence was concerned about the security challenges in the region, particularly in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, as well as the Birnin Gwari axis of Kaduna State.
“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,” the statement said.
It added, “The Ministry of Defence, therefore, wish to warn any person or group of persons who choose to connive or sympathies with the bandits to perpetuate crime against the law-abiding citizens to hence force retract their steps or face the full wrath of the law.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria have been directed to deal decisively with anybody identified helping the bandits under whatever guise no matter how highly placed the person or persons may be.”
The government explained that due to the recent prevailing security situation in the states, the Nigerian Army was conducting Exercise Harbin Kunama IV simultaneously in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto States.
It noted that the purpose of the exercise was to effectively tackle the activities of criminal elements in the north-west while the Nigerian Air Force has also intensified air strikes against the bandits in Zamfara.
The government disclosed that so far, the combined efforts have yielded successes which led to the killing of many bandits and the rescue of many innocent persons, including the renowned Islamic scholar Sheik Ahmad Suleiman.
Ctv
