President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed outrage at the latest reports of several villagers being massacred by escaping bandits in Zamfara State.

The President vowed not to let up military operations against the bandits.

As of Saturday, close to 200 villagers have been buried after bandits stormed five villages in Anka and Bukkuyum local government areas between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Reacting to the large-scale killings, Buhari said: “The latest attacks on innocent people by the bandits is an act of desperation by mass murderers, now under relentless pressure from our military forces who are well equipped to effectively confront these enemies of humanity.

“In keeping with my commitment to tackle the monster of terrorism head on, let me reassure these besieged communities and other Nigerians that this government will not abandon them to their fate because we are more than ever determined to get rid of these outlaws.

“These criminals will be history because we are not going to relent in our current military operations to get rid of these thugs who have been terrorising innocent people.”

Buhari spoke in a statement issued on Saturday by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.

President Buhari appealed to the affected communities for patience, saying “we are fiercely determined to smoke out and destroy these outlaws who have no regard for the sanctity of life.”

While extending his sympathy to the survivors and families of those killed, Buhari said that “the army and the air force are working together to get rid of these callous criminals as they acquire more equipment to track down and eliminate criminal gangs that are subjecting innocent people to the reign of terror, including illegal imposition of taxes on the communities under siege.”

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Governor Bello Matawalle on Saturday visited the headquarters of Anka and Bukkuyum local government areas.

Thereafter the governor met with heads of security agencies in the state for briefing.

Relief materials have been sent to the internally displaced persons in the affected local governments.

The Star