MOHAMMED Adamu, inspector-general of police, has deployed 275 special police officers to Zamfara to tackle security crisis that has engulfed the state.
Adamu had Monday flagged-off Operation Puff Adder 2 at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja.
According to Adamu, the special security forces were aimed at reinforcing the fight against banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other violent crimes being perpetrated across the country.
Adamu stated that the new unit would be intelligence-driven and executed in sustained collaboration with the armed forces, intelligence community, and other sister security agencies.
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He explained that the troops under Operation Puff Adder 2 were drawn from the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Mobile Force, and Special Forces of the Nigerian police.
While addressing the troops deployed to Zamfara, Abutu Yaro, state commissioner of police, urged the officers to discharge their duties in line with rules of engagement and operation.
Yaro said the state government was worried over the incessant terror attacks and banditry in the state.
He added that the troops would be deployed to all ‘red flag’ areas across different parts of the state.
“We will deploy them to all the areas, to all the red flag points. We had problems with inadequate personnel in the past but that is no longer a problem with the coming of these troops. They will be deployed to Munya, Shiroro, Mariga and the Lapai-Agaie axis,” Yaro said.
Zamfara is among states in the northern part of the country besieged with lots of violence, including kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.
Apart from Zamfara, Borno, Niger and Yobe states have also witnessed several violent attacks on civilian residents.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94