Zamfara: Matawalle vows action after bandits seize armoured tank
Amid escalating violence in the North West, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has called for urgent military action following the circulation of a shocking video showing bandits seizing a Nigerian Army Mine-Resistant Armoured Personnel Carrier (MRAP) in Zamfara State.
The video, which went viral over the weekend, depicts a group of heavily armed bandits taking control of the MRAP after it became stuck in a waterlogged area during an operation in Kwashabawa, Zurmi Local Government Area. The vehicle was reportedly abandoned by Nigerian troops who were ordered to withdraw to avoid an ambush.
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In response to this alarming development, Minister Matawalle directed the Chief of Defence Staff and other top military officials to immediately relocate their command operations to Sokoto, the headquarters overseeing Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi States. This strategic move aims to intensify efforts to eradicate the growing threat of banditry and terrorism in the region.
“The continued circulation of videos showing Nigerian military assets in the hands of bandits is utterly unacceptable,” Matawalle said in a statement released by the Ministry of Defence’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike. He emphasized that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is fully committed to providing the necessary resources to restore peace and security in the North West.
Matawalle also assured the public that the government will leave no stone unturned in its mission to eliminate these criminal elements. “The time is up for these bandits and terrorists. We will act decisively to ensure our people can live freely,” he added.
The Minister, who will be on the ground with military chiefs in the North West, called on the local population to cooperate with security forces and remain vigilant as the government intensifies its operations to restore peace to the troubled region.
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