The Federal Government on Tuesday warned some traditional rulers and highly placed individuals in Zamfara against colluding with bandits in the State to perpetuate nefarious activities.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, in a statement issued by his spokesman, by Col. Tukur Gusau, on Tuesday said fresh intelligence had exposed the complicity of some, “highly-placed traditional rulers” in the ongoing killings of Nigerians across the northern parts of the country.
He also accused those individuals of helping the bandits with intelligence as well as frustrating security agencies’ efforts to address the challenge.
Dan-Ali further warned that any person or group of persons who choose to sympathise with the bandits, to retrace their steps or face the full wrath of the law.
According to him, the Armed Forces had been directed to deal decisively with anybody identified to be helping the bandits under whatever guise, no matter how highly placed the person may be.
He said the government had taken a number of measures to deal with the problem, including the establishment of 8 Division in Sokoto and the conduct of Exercise Harbin Kunama III, to combat banditry in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Birnin Gwari axis of Kaduna State.
Gusau called on the people of the affected states to cooperate with the security agencies by giving them useful information.
