THE military authorities have arrested a soldier and his girlfriend who supply uniforms and ammunition to bandits in Zamfara State.
Bashir Muhammad Maru, Zamfara State deputy chief of staff, disclosed this during a press briefing at the State Government House, Gusau, on Friday.
“Another issue of topical importance is the recent arrest by the military of an Army officer and his girlfriend who are engaged in assisting bandits with military uniforms and ammunition in active connivance with other saboteurs.
“This arrest was only made possible through community-driven intelligence,” Maru said.
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He noted that the state government was awaiting the military’s action regarding the arrest, stressing that the incident confirmed the state government’s position that there were bad eggs in the military.
Maru further stated that until the system was cleared of the bad eggs, it would be difficult to defeat banditry in the Zamfara State.
During the recent abduction of about 300 schoolgirls in the Janzebe area of the state, some victims had said that the bandits were dressed in military uniforms.
Also, during the abduction of some persons and school children in Niger State, eyewitnesses had also said that the criminals, who took the victims into the bush, came in military uniforms.
Earlier in January, Bello Matawalle, Zamfara governor , had also accused some traditional rulers in the state of aiding banditry through illegal activities.
Mohammed Yerima, spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, was contacted by The ICIR to confirm the arrest and mention the name of the officer. However, he said it was a defence operation and he was awaiting instruction to comment or make a statement on it.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94