Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, has hailed the Nigerian military for the renewed onslaught against bandits in the state.
The governor made this known In a statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala, on Sunday.
“This intervention by the military has significantly degraded the operational capacity of the bandits and has shown the commitment of the Nigeria Air Force to carrying out its constitutional mandate of protecting civilians and safeguarding the lives and property.”
He also reaffirmed his administration's commitment to “providing all necessary support to the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies.”
Over the weekend, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) decisively targeted bandits attacking villages in Zurmi and Maradun Local Government Areas in a successful airstrike.
In a statement by the spokesperson of the Governor, Sulaiman Bala, he commiserated with the families of civilian casualties affected by the airstrike at Tungar Kara in Zurmi LGA.
“Regrettably, some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) and local vigilantes were also affected during the operation in Tungar Kara, resulting in the loss of lives.”
The statement clarified that the civilian casualties were members of the local vigilante who were mistakenly identified as the bandits fleeing from Gidan Makera in the Boko district of Zurmi LGA.
The government noted that it will continue offering the required support to enhance “intelligence sharing, provide logistics, and strengthen community engagement” to ensure that normalcy is restored across the state.
It also urged residents to be vigilant, cooperate with security personnel, and report suspicious activity.
