Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja
The Federal Government has assembled a 1,000-strong military force, comprising the army, air force, police and the civil defence, to launch attacks on the bandits terrorising the villages and towns of Zamfara State.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday.
Shehu said following President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive, the Nigerian Air Force has begun the deployment of fighter aircraft to Katsina, the airport with the closest proximity to Zamfara State to make for immediate and effective response to the menace of the bandits.
This, he said, had not been possible in the past because there was no fuel depot facility in Katsina.
The presidential spokesman said NAF had now devised a way around the problem.
He added, “The President has also authorised the engagement by NAF, of advanced satellite surveillance technology to help in accurate detection of movement and locations of the bandits.
“The government had to go to this extent because of the limitations of conventional surveillance, as the use of satellite technology could make the task of NAF less problematic.
“Following directives from the President, at the weekend, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, was in Gusau where he met the Deputy Governor of the state.
“The Chief of Air Staff reiterated the President’s pledge that he would never abandon the victims of attacks to their fate, reaffirming that security remains one of the cardinal pillars of his campaign promises and no leader would be happy to see his own citizens killed by criminal groups across the country.”
Shehu recalled that since his election, the President had kept faith with his promises to re-equip and motivate the country’s military and other security services.
The army and other security services, he said, were now better equipped and motivated to face the challenges of their responsibilities.
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