Military highlights efforts, sacrifices in Zamfara, refutes Gov Lawal’s allegations

The Defence Headquarters has strongly rejected allegations made by Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, that the military9 and police are not doing enough to combat banditry in the state.

Governor Lawal had stated that the lack of effort from federal security agencies led to the creation of the state’s security outfit, Community Protection Guards. However, the military has denied these claims, providing evidence of their relentless efforts and sacrifices made in the fight against banditry.

Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director, Defence Media Operations, addressed the allegations during a briefing at the Defence Headquarters on Thursday.

“The AFN hereby makes it unequivocally clear that it is a professional force that is subservient to political authority, particularly the political leadership of Zamfara State. The military will not take issues with the governor, rather we choose the path of cooperation over conflict with the state governor and look forward to constructively engaging with him on these matters.”

The military highlighted their efforts in Zamfara State, where troops have been deployed to combat banditry.

“Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji deployed in Zamfara State have lost nine personnel so far in June 2024. These killed-in-action personnel are a painful testament to our tireless efforts, commitment, and sacrifice to restoring peace and security in the state,” said Maj. Gen. Buba.

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The military also called for an impartial analysis of the allegations levelled against them and other security agencies by the governor. “The allegations against the military and security forces operating in the state need to be analysed impartially and understood. The situation underscores the fact that winning the war without the support of the people of the state is close to impossible,” said Maj. Gen. Buba.

Furthermore, the military noted that Zamfara State lacks an internal security operation outfit to coordinate the activities of security agencies, despite being the epicentre of kidnappings in the zone.

“Interestingly, despite the state being described as the epicentre of kidnapping, Zamfara has no internal security operation outfit to coordinate the activities of security agencies, as is found in other states. This situation leaves much to be desired,” said Maj. Gen. Buba.

The military assured that they will continue to work tirelessly to restore safety and security across the nation.

“Overall, the military will continue to work tirelessly to restore safety and security across our nation. Certainly, there is still a lot of fighting to do, to guarantee the safety of our homeland,” said Maj. Gen. Buba.

In addition, the military provided updates on their achievements in the fight against terrorism.

“During the week under review, troops neutralised 197 terrorists and arrested 310 persons. Troops also arrested 22 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 251 kidnapped hostages. In the South-South, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of N765,654,100,” said Maj. Gen. Buba.

The military’s response to the allegations highlights their commitment to combating banditry and terrorism in Zamfara State and across the country. Despite the challenges and sacrifices made, the military remains dedicated to restoring peace and security in all regions.

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