President Muhammadu Buhari has urged residents of Katsina and other areas affected by banditry and terrorism to exercise patience as the military was working assiduously to rid the areas of the security challenges.
He stated this in a Tuesday statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in apparent reaction to protests in his home state.
On Tuesday, hundreds of youths from across the state converged on Katsina town to demand an end to the killings in their various communities.
Conveyed by the Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) and Citizens Participation Against Corruption Initiative, the peaceful protest was flagged off at Kofar Soro and concluded at the old Government House, Katsina.
But the president said he was reassuring Nigerians that the nation’s armed forces “are fully capable of dealing with the challenges of banditry and terrorism, urging more patience as the military takes appropriate steps to block gaps being exploited to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens”.
According to the statement, Buhari has approved a joint military and police operation specifically targeted at combing Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States to rid the areas of bandits.
The president further assured that surveillance would be improved, with more night vision aircraft already deployed under “Operation Accord’’ launched three weeks ago.
“Nigeria’s military has displayed its capabilities in the past and will show it again by dealing with the current challenges,” he said.
The statement further quoted the president as appealing to the people of Katsina State to be patient and supportive of the ongoing military operations in the state, while sympathising with those who are bereaved, injured and lost properties.
“President Buhari admonishes that taking to the streets for protest could distract the military operations, urging “Katsina indigenes not to give up on the military who over the years have a strong track record of quelling crises once given enough time.
“The major forests in North-Western Nigeria have been identified as home to the bandits in the region. The operation will clear all these forests,’’ he further said.
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