Molly Kilete, Abuja
Minister for Defence, Bashir Magashi, yesterday, met with members of the Presidential Commitment set up to end banditary, insurgency and other violent crimes bedevilling the country.
The meeting held at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, had ministers of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi, Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed in attendance, is coming on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of a joint military and police operation to rid bandits in Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.
Magashi, in an interview with journalists shortly after the meeting, said the military would redouble their efforts to decimate the bandits for peace to reign in their operational axis.
He also said the inter-ministerial meeting would hold every fortnight.
Police Affairs minister, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi assured on effective inter-ministerial and inter-agencies collaboration to evolve new operational guidelines for implementation by security agencies involved in anti-banditary and anti- insurgency operations.
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, said the meeting focused on how to deploy crisis communication strategy to end the phenomenon of banditary activities in the country even as he noted the importance of information sharing and synergy among security agencies with a view to flushing out criminalities in the country.
He said all hands must be on deck to support government’s efforts to curb insecurity in the country.