President Bola Tinubu has ordered his minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, and the military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts to rid the state and the entire north-west of rampant terrorism, an official has announced.
The north-west is arguably Nigeria’s most terrorised region with four of the region’s seven states among the top five states with the highest number of kidnap incidents between July 2023 and June 2024.
Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna recorded the highest numbers, with Sokoto coming fifth behind Abuja in fourth, according to the report by SBM Intelligence, a market intelligence, security analysis and strategic consulting firm.
@goldmynetv has reported several cases of attacks and mass abductions in the North-west states. The situation has deteriorated with many local communities now virtually controlled by armed terrorists who demand taxes from locals.
In a Sunday statement, the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike, said the federal government has now directed Mr Matawalle, and the military chiefs to move to Sokoto State.
The directive is part of an intensified effort to rid the North-west of the menace of banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism, the News Agency of Nigeria quotes Mr Ogubike as saying.
It is unclear how effective this strategy would be as ex-President Muhammadu Buhari also ordered his military chiefs to relocate to Borno at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency Although the military achieved some battlefield successes against the terrorists, the Boko Haram insurgency is still on and the terrorists have spread their tentacles to other northern states such as Niger and Kogi.
In his statement, Mr Ogubike said the federal government expressed sadness over the activities of terrorists and bandits in the North-west states, explaining that the strategic move underscored the unwavering commitment of the government to restoring peace and security in the region.
