The ongoing military operations against bandits and kidnappers in Zamfara state has been very successful as over 2,000 informants providing bandits with key information have been arrested in the state, the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, has said.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, Dosara said the state government set up a military operation a month ago to take the fight to the bandits in the state.
He said the operation was so successful that bandits now eat okro and grass, as 80% have fled the state to Sokoto, adding that the state government may reconnect mobile telecommunications network before end of the week.
Dosara however, urged the public to discountenance campaigns of calumny against the operation and those playing down success of the operation, noting that those who benefited from the bandits activities in the state and those who are supplying the bandits have engaged social media and section of the traditional media to sponsor fake news against the operation.
“After the military operation, we have succeeded in our campaign against bandits and kidnappers in many respect. Over 2,000 informants have been arrested and they are now providing information regarding their operation, the way they collaborated with the bandits, who and who are involved in the banditry.
“The military operation has succeeded in making the bandits to flee Zamfara state, so many bandits have been neutralised, 80% of the bandits in Zamfara state have gone to Sokoto state. Sokoto state government is trying to push them out or neutralise them. Just 20% of the bandits are in Zamfara or Katsina state,” he said.
Dosara commended the people of Zamfara state for generally accepting the the measures introduced by the state government to ensure lasting solution to the issue of banditry in the state. “The people supported and cooperated with us. As part of the success Zamfara state government has decided to make available relief package to the people to ease the hardship of the measures rice, maize sorghum will be distributed to the people of the state.
“The state government set up a situation room for information and data collection, these data are sieved, analysed and action taken. We are successful in the operation in the sense that many bandits have been neutralised by security operatives in the state and others have been forced to take okro and grass as food in the farms to survive because they have been cut out from the supply of food, drugs and fuel.
“Because of the hardship the bandits are suffering, they have now resulted to using camel to perpetrate their heinous acts. Government is happy and is considering opening up the mobile network services in the state before the end of this week,” the Commissioner said.
