Minister: Troops’ve been empowered to end banditry soon in Zamfara

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, says all the needed arrangements to commence military raids on bandits’ enclaves across Zamfara State have been concluded.

Matawalle, the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, made the assertion in a viral audio, saying whatever that is needed for the military personnel to competently conquer bandits and kidnappers within a short time which included high-powered fighting equipment and devices for easy identification of bandits’ enclaves and their movements have been provided.

The minister further disclosed that among the provisions made by the Ministry of Defence were the satisfied welfare and other immediate demands that boost the morale of the troops at warfront, noting that the renewed operations are expected to denied any chance for bandits to breath in Zamfara State.

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He said the recent military operation in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state where bandits launched attacks on citizens has been marked as sign of victory, adding that the bandits were in their large numbers got neutralised and many people under captivity were rescued.

Matawalle said: “We have directed our gallant troops to, henceforth, for the sake of urgency, identify and clamp on bandits’ enclaves even without ‘On-the-Spot’ order from what we called ‘The Top’, capture them on target and hit them heavily to the extent they could not have any hiding place in the bushes.

“And on the issue of welfare for the troops, there would be no complain again as witnessed before. That one has been well treated with a view to encourage them to be well focused and embark on their missions until Zamfara is banditry-free.

“So far, bandits who disturb peace in Zurmi, Kaura Namoda, Maru, and other marked places have been displaced with a record that number of notorious leaders were killed while their enclaves have been destroyed, number of abducted were rescued and number of firearms recovered.”

Some residents in some affected Local Government Areas including Zurmi, Kaura Namoda, Shinkafi, and Maru said they were confident that should such military operations remain incessant, they would soon be free from living under bandits’ orders.

Idris Salisu

The Star