The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has said troops have the mandate to intensify the war against bandits in the North West and make Nigeria safe at all costs.
He said: “My charge to the troops is clear: they should go out there and eliminate all these criminals. We must make Nigeria safe at all costs.”
Oluyede gave the charge Monday during his maiden operational visit to troops under Operation Fansan Yamma in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital.
The visit, according to him, was to assess soldiers’ readiness, address their challenges, and boost their morale in the ongoing fight against banditry.
He reiterated the military’s determination to smoke out the bandits from the Northwest, noting that sustained pressure on criminal groups would eventually restore security across the region.
On the need for increased air support for ground operations, the CDS acknowledged existing challenges, assuring however that efforts were ongoing to strengthen the Nigerian Air Force’s operational capacity.
He said: “We are doing our best based on the platforms available. These resources are being shared across multiple theatres of operation, but the government is working to acquire more platforms to support ground troops.”
Oluyede lauded the government and people of Zamfara state for their continued support of military operations, pointing out that the recent procurement of armored vehicles, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) platforms, has enhanced operational effectiveness.
While calling for greater collaboration from local communities, particularly in intelligence gathering, the defence chief noted that timely and credible information remains critical to dismantling bandit networks.
…Bandits attack Kaiama community again
Meanwhile, gunmen suspected to be bandits terrorising the Kwara North axis, again, attacked Kemanji community in Kaiama local government area of Kwara state Monday morning, killing three soldiers.
Local sources said the attackers who struck around 3.00am upon arrival, allegedly launched an explosive device at a military camp in the area, before advancing further into the community.
But despite the assault, sources said security operatives, including personnel of the “Nigerian Army and local vigilante groups, repelled the attackers in an intense gun duel that lasted till about 5.00am.”
The attack was coming barely two weeks after a similar attack on the camp of Mobile Police Force (MPF) of the Nigeria Police Force in Nuku village in Kaiama local government area, killing five members of the National Forest Guard.
In the latest onslaught on the community, Blueprint.ng gathered that the attackers reportedly shot indiscriminately, throwing the community into panic.
It was gathered that the heavy sounds of gunshot woke the already panicked residents from sleep, forcing them to scamper for safety.
“It’s very pathetic and disheartening. The entire community is in a state of panic, and many villagers have fled. No one can yet predict the number of victims involved.”, said a local source.
…No civilian casualties – Village head
Speaking on the development, the village head of Kemanji, Alhaji Sanni Zikki, confirmed that there was no civilian amongst the casualties of the attack.
He, however, said three soldiers lost their lives during a gun duel with the bandits, whom he said it were operating from the nearby forest.
“The bandits came from the Kainji National Park and attacked our security men. We lost three soldiers. Some others were injured,” he said.
The village head said the security operatives resisted the attack despite its intensity.
“There were heavy gunshots everywhere. It was intense, but the security men tried,” he said.
Zikki also dismissed claims that the attackers had issued prior threats to the community, insisting there were no civilian casualties.
“There was no casualty among residents,” he submitted.
It was further gathered that the gunmen carted away weapons, motorcycles, ammunition and an army gun truck in the process.
A resident, Mohammed Mohammed, corroborated the account, saying the attackers initially overwhelmed the troops and escaped with military equipment.
“They invaded the community and killed three military officers. They took their armoured vehicle along with motorcycles, arms and ammunition,” he said.
“We learnt the bandits are many in number, and the military are already in the bush pursuing them,” he added.
Security agencies and the state police command were yet to make any official statement regarding the incident.
An inquiry directed to the state public relations officer of the Kwara state police command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on the journalists’ platform of the state police command, was yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this report.
