The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has explained that his visit to Zamfara State was to assess troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA and boost their morale in the ongoing fight against banditry in the North-West.
General Oluyede arrived at the headquarters of the North-West Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, in Gusau on Monday for his maiden operational visit.
During the visit, he held a closed-door briefing with senior military officers, after which he addressed troops and later met with Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the CDS said significant progress had been recorded in tackling banditry across Zamfara and the wider North-West region.
“It is on record that tremendous success has been achieved in the fight against banditry in Zamfara and the North-West in general. We will sustain the momentum until these criminal elements are completely flushed out,” he said.
He noted that he had charged troops to intensify operations by targeting criminal hideouts and eliminating bandits to restore safety in affected communities.
“My message to the troops is clear: go after these criminals in their enclaves and eliminate them. We must make Nigeria safe at all costs,” he added.
The defence chief also commended Governor Lawal for supporting military operations in the state, particularly for procuring armoured vehicles to aid troops in the field.
“I appreciate the governor’s support, especially the recent provision of armoured vehicles to assist our men. Such collaboration is vital to our success,” he said.
Oluyede further called on residents of Zamfara and the wider North-West to support security agencies with credible intelligence to enhance ongoing operations.
“I urge the people to cooperate with our troops by providing timely and useful information so we can deal decisively with these bandits,” he stated.
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