The Defence Headquarters, DHQ on Friday announced a major brake through in the ongoing fight against insurgency activities in the troubled North West with the killing of 40 members of the dreaded Boko Haram group including notorious kingpin, Halilu Buzu in Zamfara State.
In a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by Director of Defence Information, DDI, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, it was explained that the bandits were killed in an ambush organized by Sector One Joint Task Force, North West (NW) Operation Hadarin Daji on the terrorist escape route along Gusau Funtua Road.
It stated that during the operations, “40 of them were neutralized including notorious kingpin, Halilu Buzu.
It further explained that during the operations, “Arms and motorcycles were recovered from the bandits.
This came just as the Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa on Friday paid an official visit to Operational areas in Zamfara state in furtherance of his commitment to tackling insecurity in the country.
According to the statement, while speaking at the government house Gusau, the CDS showed appreciation to the governor for his support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria ( AFN) and other security agencies in the state. He commended the governor for the noticeable development within the past one year.
” As regards farmers access to freely cultivate without bandits interference, he said the AFN will provide security to the farmers to ensure bountiful harvest to ease the current hardship.
The CDS assured the governor of having a good, dedicated, and committed team of security heads in Zamfara and pledged to bring all the notorious bandits to book soon.
It added that General Musa further appealed to the good people of Zamfara State not to allow themselves to be use as informant to the bandits to scuttle military operations, rather they should provide vital information to the security agencies to help eliminate bandits.
He seized the opportunity to inform the governor of a change in the Defence Headquarters led operations in the state. According to him, the operations has now assumed a theater Command status with General officers Commanding as component Commanders, respectively.
This he said is to enable for proper synergy and control between state actors. He also said the operational code is renamed Operation FANSAN YAMMA. Equally, the CDS added that Mr President has approved the deployment of additional military platforms to achieve better results.
According to the statement, similarly, the CDS pledged to work together with state-owned security establishments and maintained that “We cannot be every where, we need positive men and women to help the process of achieving peace”.
In his address to the troops of 1 Brigade Nigerian Army whose bravery ambushed and killed scores of terrorist earlier today, the CDS charged them to develop positive mindset to winning the war. According to him, ” Machines don’t fight war but humans do”.
He pledged to provide every necessary tools required to execute the fight. He also promised to Vigourosly pursue their welfare.
The Zamfara state governor, Dr Dauda Lawal in his response, thanked the CDS for finding time to travel by road from Abuja to Zamfara.
According to the Governor, “it shows a significant level of commitment” adding that General Musa presence in the state had added impetus to the security atmosphere in the state as people were now cheerful, warm and believe an end to insecurity is near.
” My government is fully committed to cooperation with the military and other security agencies in the state” he pledged.
