Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, yesterday, assured farmers in Zamfara State of free access to their farms to cultivate without bandits’ interference, stating that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will provide security to the farmers to ensure bountiful harvests to ease the current hardship in the country.
General Musa, who was in Zamfara on an official assignment to operational areas in furtherance of his commitment to tackling insecurity in the country, said the people of Zamfara are looking “happy” despite the security challenges facing the state.
The CDS who disclosed these at the Government House Gusua, also assured the Governor of Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, of having a good, dedicated and committed team of security heads in the state, pledging to bring all the notorious bandits to book soon.
A statement by acting director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau said Gen. Musa further appealed to the good people of Zamfara State not to allow themselves to be used as informants to the bandits to scuttle military operations, rather they should provide vital information to the security agencies to help eliminate bandits. He seized the opportunity to inform the governor of a change in the Defence Headquarters led operations in the state. According to him, “The operations has now assumed a theatre Command status with General officers Commanding as component Commanders, respectively.”
This he said is to enable proper synergy and control between state actors, saying the operation is now code-named ‘Operation FANSAN YAMMA’. The CDS added that Mr President has approved the deployment of additional military platforms to achieve better results.