'Banditry will soon be history in Zamfara' - Matawalle

The Minister of State Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, said that all the needed but formidable arrangements to commence military assaults on bandits’ enclaves across Zamfara State have been concluded.

Matawalle made the assertion in an audio that went viral, saying that, whatever is needed for the military personnel to competently conquer bandits and kidnappers within shortest time which included high-powered fighting equipment and devices for easy identification of bandits’ enclaves and their movements were provided.

The Minister further disclosed that, amongst the provisions made by the ministry of defence were the satisfied welfare and other immediate demands that boost the morale of the troops at war front, only that the renewed operations are expected to denied any chance for bandits to breath across Zamfara State.

He informed that, the recent military operation in Zurmi local government area where bandits launched attack on innocent citizens has been marked as sign of victory as bandits were in their large numbers got neutralised and many people under captivity have been rescued.

“We have directed our gallant troops to, henceforth, for the sake of urgency, identify and clamp on bandits’ enclaves even without ‘On-the-Spot’ order from what we called ‘The Top’, capture them on target and hit them heavily to the extent they could not have any hiding place in the bushes.

“And on the issue of welfare for the troops, there would be no complain again as witnessed before, that one has been well treated with a view to encourage them to be well focused and embark on their missions until Zamfara is banditry-free.

“So far, bandits that disturb peace in Zurmi, Kaura Namoda, Maru and other marked places have been displaced with a record that number of notorious leaders were killed while their enclaves have been destroyed, number of abducted were rescued and number of firearms recovered”, Matawalle further disclosed.

Comments by residents across some affected local government areas including Zurmi, Kaura Namoda, Shinkafi and Maru, said they are confident that should such military operations remain incessant, they would soon be free from living under bandits’ orders.