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Bandits are relocating to Kaduna, Kano, Niger, says Buratai
BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
The Nigerian Army has alerted that armed bandits were relocating from Zamfara to Kaduna, Kano and Niger states following a sustained attack by troops on internal security operations in that state.
The army has also said that the terrorists who are fleeing from Zamfara State, as a result, its newly launched “Operation Harbin Kunama III.”
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai made this known at a media briefing. He said the army had concluded plans to conduct special exercises in the affected areas to end banditry and other criminal elements.
Represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Major General Lamidi Adeosun, Buratai while lamenting that the bandits had resorted to soft targets while relocating to other safe havens in contiguous states of Katsina and Sokoto, assured that all criminal elements hiding in forests in the affected states would soon be smoked out.
He said: “Current threat assessments revealed the migration of the bandits from their epicentre to other areas in Kaduna, Kano and Niger states.
Buratai, who said Exercise Harbin Kunama III was launched on April 1, 2019, after the Chief of Army staff’s press conference in Gusau, Zamfara State on March 31, 2019, said the exercise had achieved tremendous successes within the past one month.
“Several bandits and criminal elements have been captured and killed while some camps, hideouts and equipment of the criminals have been destroyed.
“It has however been observed that there appears to be a resurgence of their activities in other contiguous states to Zamfara.
“This is occasioned by fleeing bandits that have resorted to attacking soft targets while relocating to other safe havens within contiguous states of Katsina and Sokoto.
“Current threat assessments revealed the migration of the bandits from their epicentre to other areas in Kaduna, Kano, and Niger states.
“It is against this backdrop that Exercise Harbin Kunama III is being re-organised and its mandate expanded to effectively ensure the complete defeat of the fleeing bandits.
“This is to restore public confidence and enhance safety while also ensuring that socio-economic activities continue without fear or intimidation,” he explained.
“It is on this premise that I want to plead with the public to persevere in the face of seeming inconveniences due to restrictions that may be imposed in these areas while the Nigerian Army is conducting the exercise.
“The Nigerian Army mandate is aimed at building confidence and ensuring that our country is rid of criminal elements that are poised to destabilise the normal life, rights and freedom of the people across the country as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
“I want to assure the public that the Nigerian Army will carry out its constitutional mandate of professionally and within the ambit of the law adhering to the ROE. Consequently, I urge the public to claim ownership of the security of the country and wilfully avail us with credible information that will assist in flushing out the subversive and criminal elements from their hideouts and safe havens.
“Be rest assured that the Nigerian Army will continue to support the non-kinetic efforts of the civil authority to combat criminality and banditry as well as prevent them from gaining traction and spreading to other relatively peaceful regions of the country.
“I further enjoin them to continue to support the Nigerian Army with credible information that will assist in the professional conduct of our exercises and operations to rid the area of banditry and criminality.
“They are encouraged to continue to galvanise their subjects and followers to tow the path of peaceful resolution of conflicts rather than resulting to violence which does nobody any good.”
Buratai, while commending the role played by traditional rulers said: “I use this medium to once again call on all religious leaders to pray for the success of our exercise and operations as well as pray for the total eradication of insecurity in our country.” (Daily Sun)
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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