THE Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF) has expressed its unwavering commitment to combating banditry by targeting terrorists in their hideouts, aiming to liberate Zamfara and neighboring states from ongoing attacks. They have issued a stark warning to the bandits: ‘surrender or face death’.
Major General Oluyinka Soyele, Theatre Commander of the newly formed Operation Fansar Yamma, conveyed this message during a visit to Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State at the Government House in Gusau, the state capital. He emphasized that the only viable option for the terrorists is to surrender.
Zamfara State, located in Northwest Nigeria, has been a hotspot for banditry, with its residents enduring deadly assaults, kidnappings, and killings for over a decade. Recently, the heavily trafficked Gusau-Funtua Highway has been plagued by daily attacks from fleeing terrorists.
Speaking however, Soyele assured that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is fully prepared to launch a significant offensive against these bold terrorists to eradicate them from Zamfara and other troubled areas in the Northwest.
He stressed the importance of community support for the troops in their fight against terrorism.
He urged the public to provide timely and relevant information to assist the military in locating the terrorists in their hiding places.
“We are more committed than ever to ensuring that Zamfara State and all other Northwest and North Central regions are free from terrorist activities. We are ready to take the battle to them; they must either surrender or face death.”
Soyele also mentioned efforts to engage local communities and village leaders, highlighting that their support is crucial in overcoming the threat of terrorism in the state. He noted that alongside kinetic operations, non-kinetic strategies will also be employed.
Governor Dauda Lawal acknowledged the state government’s awareness of the terrorist attacks on the busy Gusau-Funtua highway and expressed readiness to confront this challenge to restore peace and normalcy.
During his visit, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa announced the creation of a new operational theater named Theatre Operation Fansar Yamma, which will consolidate Operation Hadari Daji and other operations in the Northwest region into this new framework.
