…Says, Military Lost Nine Personnel Deployed To Terrorists In Zamfara
The Nigerian Military has reacted to a recent interview by the Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal where he spoke on the delinquencies of the security agencies to combat insecurity in the state.
Lawal while speaking on the security situation in Zamfara revealed the frustrations of his administration in working with security agencies, whom he said are neither subservient to his leadership nor available to execute their duties.
“We, as governors, don’t have control over the military, we don’t have control over the police as well as the civil defence.
“In most cases, we get frustrated… When you need these people, they are nowhere to be found… Even when they are there, they are given certain instructions on what to do and not what to do,” the Zamfara governor said during the interview.
But the military high command during its bi-weekly briefing on Thursday disclosed its unwillingness to trade words with the Zamfara Governor.
Speaking at the briefing, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba said: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to weighty allegations labelled against the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) by the Zamfara State Governor in a recent interview on Channels TV.
“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 join issues with the Governor, rather we choose the part of cooperation over conflict with the state Governor and look forward to constructively engaging with him on these matters.
“Troops of Op HADARIN DAJI deployed to Zamfara State have lost 9 personnel so far in the month of June 2024.
“Those killed in-action personnel are a painful testament to our tireless efforts, commitment and sacrifice to restoring peace and security in the state.
“Nevertheless, the allegations against the military and security forces operating in the state really 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.
“Interestingly, despite the state being described as the epicentre of kidnapping, the state has no internal security operation outfit to coordinate activities of security agencies operating in the state, as is found in other states. This situation leaves much to be desired.
“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, in order to guarantee the safety of our homeland.
“Citizens must clearly understand the reason we are fighting this war. They must understand that the terrorist will not stop, until they are stopped.
“Additionally, the lifeline of the terrorist groups is the people. Winning the war without the support of the people is close to impossible.
“While troops probably don’t have all the answers. Citizens should be rest assured that the military is working relentlessly to guarantee the safety and security of every citizen from acts of terror.”