THE Federal Government has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and other military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State to intensify efforts to eliminate the menace of banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism in the North-West region.
This directive was disclosed in a statement by the director of information and public relations at the Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike.
The government emphasised that the move was part of its strategy to combat the ongoing security challenges in the North-West.
Reacting to the decision, Matawalle said they would oversee operations to dismantle the criminal network led by Bello Turji and his gang of bandits in the region.
“These criminal bandits have been circulating videos of a Nigerian military armoured vehicle that was stuck in a water-logged area.
“And late in the night, the officers were asked to withdraw to avoid being ambushed by bandits, later in the night the bandits went to the water-logged area, recording video of the armoured vehicle that was stuck and celebrating it.
“This incident happened in Kwashabawa, Zurmi Local Government Area in Zamfara. This is not acceptable as President Bola Tinubu has been giving great support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the persistent threat posed by banditry and terrorism in the North West particularly,” he stated.
He said his team was ready to deploy all necessary assets to ensure that these criminal elements are flushed out and peace is restored to the region.
He noted that there was an urgent need to move against the terrorists to enable people to move freely.
“The time is up for these bandits and terrorists as increased and consistent operations will weaken all their bases. I believe my presence in the North West will ginger our armed forces,” he added.
Matawalle further assured the people of the North-West region that the security forces would leave no stone unturned in flushing out the bandits.
“I will be on the ground in the North-West with the CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) and other military chiefs, leading our brave men and women in uniform.
“I also call on residents of these states to remain vigilant and cooperate with the security forces as the Federal Government has resolved to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians. The security and well-being of the people remain the government’s top priority,” he said.
Terrorists have been on the prowl in Nigeria’s North-Western region. Since 2011, when the conflict, which began in the North-East, escalated, over 12,000 people have died and hundreds of thousands displaced across the North, especially in rural communities where security response is slow or absent.
Following his appointment in August 2023, The ICIR reported how Mattawalle’s previous role as governor was marked by heavy criticism due to insecurity issues that plagued Zamfara State under his administration.
Mattawalle, who served as the governor of Zamfara State between May 2019 to 2023, left the state as one of the worst hit by terrorist attacks in Nigeria. Attacks by a group of terrorists known as bandits went rampant under his watch leading to the killing of thousands of people in the state and across the North-West region of the country.
During Matawalle’s tenure, Agriculture which is the major source of income for the residents of the state suffered devastation as these terrorists imposed protection levies before being allowed to cultivate farmlands or harvest ripe crops.
Some measures which he introduced to address the challenge such as shutting down telecommunication, restriction of vehicular movements, shutdown of markets and directing police to allow the residents to bear arms failed to end the menace.
Before Mattawalle left office, terrorist activities such as abductions, looting, and killings escalated throughout the state. In some parts of the state, the terrorists run parallel administrations, collecting taxes and levies and making laws.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.