Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Nigerian Army yesterday raised the alarm over the mass movement of armed bandits relocating from Zamfara State to Kaduna, Kano and Niger states following superior firepower from troops on internal security operations in that state.

The Army has also said the terrorists who are fleeing from Zamfara State as a result its newly launched  “Operation Harbin Kunama III”, were responsible for the recent attacks in Katsina and Sokoto states. Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai who made this known at a media briefing said the army has concluded plans to conduct special exercises in the affected areas to end banditry and other criminal elements.

Represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Major General Lamidi Adeosun, Buratai lamented that the bandits had resorted to soft targets while relocating to other safe havens within contiguous states of Katsina and Sokoto. He however assured that all criminal elements hiding in forests of the affected states would soon be smoked out in the new re-organised army special operation. He said “Current threat assessments revealed the migration of the bandits from their epicenter to other areas in Kaduna, Kano and Niger states.”

Buratai, who said “Operation Harbin Kunama III”  was launched on April 1,2019 said the exercise has achieved tremendous successes within the past one month. Several bandits and criminal elements have been captured and killed while some camps, hideouts and equipment of the criminals have been destroyed. It has however been observed that there appear to be a resurgence of their activities in other contiguous States to Zamfara.  This is occasioned by fleeing bandits that have resorted to attacking soft targets while relocating to other safe havens within contiguous States of Katsina and Sokoto.

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“Current threat assessments revealed the migration of the bandits from their epicenter to other areas in Kaduna, Kano, and Niger states. It is against this backdrop that “Exercise Harbin Kunama III” is being re-organized and its mandate expanded to effectively ensure the complete defeat of the fleeing bandits. This is to restore public confidence and enhance safety while also ensuring socio-economic activities continue without fear or intimidation”, he explained. Continuing he said “It is on this premise that I want to plead with the general public to persevere in the face of seeming inconveniences due to restrictions that may be imposed in these areas while the Nigerian Army is conducting the exercise.

“The Nigerian Army mandate is aimed at building confidence and ensuring our country is rid of criminal elements that are poised to destabilize the normal life, rights and freedom of the people across the country as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. I want to assure the general public that the Nigerian Army will carry out its constitutional mandate professionally and within the ambit of the law while adhering to the ROE. Consequently, I urge the general public to claim ownership of the security of the country and willfully avail us with credible information that will assist in flushing out subversive and criminal elements from their hideouts and safe haven.

“Be rest assured that the Nigerian Army will continue to support the non-kinetic efforts of the civil authority to combat criminality and banditry as well as prevent it from gaining traction and spreading to other relatively peaceful regions of the country.”

He further enjoined the public to continue to support the “Nigerian Army with credible information that will assist in the professional conduct of our exercises and operations to rid the area of banditry and criminality. They are encouraged to continue to galvanize their subjects and followers to tow the path of peaceful resolution of conflicts rather than resulting to violence which does nobody any good. Buratai while commending the role played by traditional rulers said

“I use this medium to once again call on all religious leaders to pray for the success of our exercise and operations as well as pray for the total eradication of insecurity in our country.”