Nigeria: FG vows to chase away bandits as minister, governors, others storm Sokoto

The Federal Government yesterday through the Minister of Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, promised to hunt down bandits and other criminal gangs terrorising the North West, in line with directives by President Bola Tinubu to troops of the Joint Operation Hadarin Daji.

This came as the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa and other senior military officials arrived in Sokoto yesterday with the aim of leading a military attack against the bandits and other criminals plaguing the North-West region.

The Minister and his delegation, including the Chief of Defence Intelligence, CDI, and other senior military officers, were received upon arrival by the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 8 Division, Brigadier General IA Ajose, and the Commander, Joint Task Force North West, Operation Hadarin Daji.

Recall that the Federal Government last Friday directed the military to relocate its command structure to Sokoto State, tackle rising banditry activities and asked the CDS to oversee efforts to end banditry-terrorised communities in the North-West.

In a closed meeting with the operational commanders of the joint operation Hadarin Daji at the 8 Division headquarters in Sokoto, Matawalle, he said the Ministry of Defence would provide all necessary support and encouragement to the troops in the war against terrorists in the North-West.

According to him, “We are in Sokoto in line with the presidential directive to eradicate terrorists and other criminal gangs terrorizing North-West. I am optimistic that the operation will put an end to Bello Turji and all others who are causing sleepless nights to citizens of the region.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is in China for an official event, has called the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff and ordered them to move to the headquarters of the 8th Nigerian Army in Sokoto to hunt down criminals terrorising the North-Western sub-region.”

Addressing troops at the 8 Division Headquarters at Giginya Barracks in Sokoto, the Minister said: “We are with you and will continue to be with you in the fight against bandits and other criminals terrorizing the North-West geopolitical region.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is alarmed and concerned about the current issue of insecurity plaguing Sokoto and other states in the North West. Nigeria is not a banana republic, it is a country governed by a constitution and President Bola Ahamed Tinubu has carefully selected us, most of us from the North to carry out the onerous task of fighting insecurity”