Commissioner: Military Operation in Zamfara Successful as Fleeing Bandits Resort to Eating Raw Food for Survival

By John Shiklam

The Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ibrahim Dosara, has said that the military operation against bandits in the state have recorded huge success as the fleeing criminals, whose source of food supply had been cut off, have resorted to eating raw food.

Briefing journalists Thursday in Kaduna, Dosara also disclosed that over 2,000 informants to the bandits had been arrested and were providing useful information about their operation and those involved.

According to him, the fleeing bandits have been going around farms, eating raw millet and okro as they have been cut off from those supplying foodstuffs to them.

Dosara said the military operation has recorded huge success as many of the bandits have fled the state, while many others were neutralised by security forces.

He said the state government was considering restoring telecom services to Gusau, the state capital, within the week.

“I am happy to announce to you that after a month of the military operation and imposing appropriate measures, we have greatly succeeded in so many respects.

“The bandits have fled Zamfara State for fear of being killed by security operatives. So many bandits fled Zamfara State to where they feel safe,” the commissioner said.

“Just yesterday, the Sokoto State commissioner for security said 80 per cent of the bandits have relocated to Sokoto and the Sokoto State Government is trying its best to push them out or neutralise them.

“According to him, only 20 per cent of the bandits are in Zamfara and Katsina States and I am sure the Sokoto State Government will not relent in its efforts to make sure that the bandits are pushed out of their state,” Dosara said.

He said the military operation was successful due to the cooperation of the Zamfara people who embraced the measures put in place to ensure lasting solutions to banditry.

He said: “The people cooperated with us and prayed for government and security to succeed.

“Government provided relief materials to the people following the hardship caused by the measures adopted to crush the bandits.

“Rice, maize, beans and Guinea corn were provided to cushion the hardship faced by people during the period.

“Over 2,000 informants who are the most serious problems of banditry in Zamfara State have arrested and are providing vital information regarding their operations, the way they collaborate with the bandits and who are involved in the armed banditry saga, including highly placed personalities and they are making a lot of vital information available.”

Dosara said the state government also set up a situation room and constituted a committee where information, complaints and other vital data were being collected, “so that government will respond positively and as quickly as possible to such complaints, especially to where such communities are being attacked by bandits or where the bandits are hiding”.

He said: “So many of the bandits have been forced to take raw food in farms such as millets and okro to survive because they have been cut off from the supplies they used to get from their collaborators in town in terms of drugs, food etc.

“Because of the hardship being faced by the bandits as a result of the stiffer measures taken by government, the bandits have resorted to using camels to perpetrate their heinous acts against communities.

“In a nutshell, so many successes have been recorded and government is very happy about this and as a result, government is considering opening up Gusau, the state capital, by restoring telecoms services before the end of this week. We are encountering some challenges.”

The commissioner accused some politicians, who according to him, are not happy with the security measures and “who do not wish Zamfara people well because they think that if Zamfara State is peaceful, they will not have the opportunity to rule the state and they decided to sponsor some sections of the media, particularly the social media, to write fake news and inciting reports against the operations and against the military.

“All those reports are not true. They are unfounded as the operations went well and a lot of successes was achieved”.