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By Suleiman Umaru
Barely sixteen months to the end of the second term in office of President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General, he apears determined to keep to his promise of handing over a stable country to the next government. Between May 29, 2015, and now, he has made several promises of restoring normalcy in the terrorist’s ravaged areas in the country but that was how far he could go.
He may have keyed into the advice of Abdullahi Gandunje, governor of Kano state and Nasir El-Rufai, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory , FCT, during the Administration of Olusegun Obasanjo and now governor of Kaduna, that ‘’ridding the forests of the Bandits will go a long way in solving the nation’s security problems’’. He was said to have into the drawing board with his service and other security Chief Chefs including Babagana Munguno, a retired Major-General and National Security Adviser, NSA, to restartegise on how to finally crush the Criminal elements.
Recall that Ibrahim Dosara, Commissioner for Information, Zamfara state had said that there are 100 Bandits camp in the forests in the state with over 32,00 armed followers. Mohammed Bazoum, President of Republic of Benin, may have given an insight how the armed Bandits from the Sahel region entered into Nigeria when Matawalle Bello, governor of Zamfara, described as home state of the Bandits paid him a visit. President Bazoum, had said that the armed Bandits had entered Nigeria from Madawa and Baya Dutsi regions of the home contry forests and escalated to Zamfara and other parts of the country ,through the forest in Maradi and Gao regions.
This may have given the ammunition to Matawalle, the cards to put on the table when he met with the security chiefs in the state, to plan the final battle for the destruction of the Terrorists camps in the forests on the approval of the Katsina state born Nigerian President.
The Zamfara state governor may have given an insight that the Bandits operating and which aAyuba Elkana, the state Commissioner of Police, had said 80% had relocated to Sokoto state and other parts of the country while 20% are still staying in the forests in the state would soon become history. He has his reason. This is because the military which have been restrained over the years from using its sophisticated weapons including the newly procured Super Tucano Jet fighters from the North American country of the United States, from bombing the forests accommodating the criminal elements to avoid sanctions from the international Community can now use such weapons on the Bandits.
This means that whatever military hardware that are being used to confront the Islamic Findamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, in the north east states of Borno and Yobe would also be used on the Bandits Group to clear the Zamfara and other north west states of Kaduna, Katsina- Buhari home state, sokoto and Kebbi and the north central state of Niger forests of the Bandits.
Security operatives may have known that he Bandits operating in Zamfara have reached their dead end when the state government at the instance of the Nigerian President started discussion with the higher military Authority on the best way the US, Manufactured Super Tucano fighter Jets would be deployed to the state, which currently shares boundaries with Sokoto, Katsia Kaduna and the neighbouring West African country of Niger to force the Bandits out from their hideouts in the forests.
The good working relationship between Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya led Army and Air Marshall Olayinka Amao, controlled Nigerian Air-Force, may have encouraged the retired Army General to reassure Nigerians that under his close watch , the terrorists , and other criminal elements operating in Zamfara, Kauna and other parts of the country would be crushed.
True to his promise the Nigerian AirForce with support of the ground troops were said to have destroyed many Bandits camp in Gwashi, Bukkuyum Local Government Area and some parts of Anka forest , where they recovered many rustled cattles in Zamfara state. The Bandits enclave in Gado forest was said to have also been dislodged and several terrorists were killed.
Note that that Bandits from the Bukkuyum and Anka axis, of the north west state, have been demanding levies from the Communities in the two LGAs, with a threat to unleash mayhem should any of the Cmmunities fail to pay.The Communities that were said to have been sent Letters about the payment payment of the Levies which into thousands of naira include Wawan Icce Salihu, Wawan Icce Ibrahim, Gangara, Gande, Tungar Gebe, Galle, Nan Narki, Ruwan Kura and Yar Galma, in Bukkuyum, LGA, alone.
An elated Buhari, had said that’’ the military are not going to relent in its current operations to get rid of these thugs who have been terrorising innocent people across the country’’. He may have seen the joy on the residents of the liberated villages who had trooped out in their thousands in ‘’celebration of the military victory as they returned after an encounter with the Bandits in the forest’’.
Note that the forced exit of the Bandits from their hideout camps in the Zamfara state forests may have put them into disarray as some of the gang members were said to have invaded Mareri Community, an outskirts of Gusau, the Zamfara state Capital and allegedly kidnapped one Aminu Adamu Papa, Managing Diretor, of the state Transport Authority(Mass Transit) and his family members.
The Bandits gang may not have succeeded in escaping with their victims to the forest or to their unknown hideout in the state as soldiers and local vigilantes were quickly mobilised to go after them. They were said to have caught up with the gang on the road and engaged them in a gun dual forcing them to release the abducted Papa family members. The Bandits gang were unlucky as six of them were killed. Also killed in the gun battle were two female- gang members of the criminal gang. Although Papa, was left with a gunshot on his leg by the Bandits, who had invaded the Gusau outskirts Community not once or twice, but he was eventually rescued.
With the riouting of the Terrorists frrom the Zamfara forest, this may have sent a signal to those who have relocated to Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger sates, that the game is up as the Nigerian military would soon descend on them in full force with their Jet fighters, which may smoke out from their forest hideout to the waiting hands of the ground troops.
