Buhari Approves Establishment of New Battalion, Police Command in Birnin Gwari

By Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

Following the killings of 45 persons in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday, President Muhammadu Buhari Monday approved the establishment of a new Battalion of the Nigerian Army and a new Police Area Command in the area.

The president, according to a statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, strongly condemned the latest massacre of innocent Nigerians in the area.

Shehu quoted the president as saying that he was “deeply outraged by this unwarranted, unprovoked and reckless destruction of lives by bandits who belong to the lowest level of civilisation. I feel the pains and devastation of the families of the victims, and this administration will do everything possible to ensure we defeat these enemies of humanity”.

The statement said the new Army Battalion and the Police Area Command were the latest in a series of law enforcement measures to ensure more effective protection of lives and property, in and around Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara and Nasarawa States.

It also disclosed that last week, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) took delivery of two new helicopter gunships, for deployment to parts of the country affected by banditry.

It also added that a Quick Response Wing has been established by the NAF in Taraba State, while a Joint Military Intervention Force is fully on ground in Benue.

According to the statement, Buhari assured Nigerians that security remained a priority of his government, threatening that his administration would not tolerate the persistent killing of innocent people in order to set Nigerians against one another.

The statement further quoted Buhari as saying: “These persistent killings are not spontaneous; there are subterranean forces with a sinister agenda to instigate war in the country for selfish purposes.

“Although unconventional war is particularly complicated, our security forces are making rigorous efforts to better understand these enemies with a view to decisively checkmating their evil attacks.”

It also said Buhari extended his condolences to the families of the victims, the government and the people of Kaduna State over the tragedy, assuring them that his government will never abandon them to their fate.