Army, Police collaboration will end banditry in Plateau, Sokoto – Group

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards (MBCG) has welcomed the Federal Government’s directive to deploy troops to assist the police flush out bandits in Sokoto and Plateau States.

According to the group, the collaborative efforts of Army and Police in the past yielded dividends aplenty and would play out this time around.

In a statement signed by Secretary General, Dr. Paul Itodo, the Middle Belt Conscience Guard said the involvement of the “Nigerian Army in routing out bandits from forests around the country is an indication of its invaluable role in internal security operations in the country.”

MBCG, however, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for dishing out the order and similarly applauded Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T.Y Buratai for his proactive response.

It disclosed that the COAS already mandated the General Officers Commanding the army formations in the affected states to reinforce the police efforts to track the bandits and bring them to justice.

MBCG added that the Army’s Chief exemplary, excellent and exceptional atmosphere put in place for officers and soldiers would ensure it continues the mandate of protecting the country’s territorial integrity in the two states.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards, therefore, called on all well-meaning Nigerians to lend support to the security agencies in that task of ensuring that the activities of bandits and other criminal elements are curtailed to the barest minimum across Nigeria.

Read full statement below:

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards receives the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari directing the Nigerian Army to join the Nigerian Police to flush out bandits from forests around the country, particularly in the areas that witnessed recent attacks as a welcome development.

The involvement of the Nigerian Army in routing out bandits from forests around the country is an indication of the invaluable role of the Nigerian Army in internal security operations in the country.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards, as critical stakeholders in the ongoing peace efforts in the Middle Belt region in Nigeria, wishes to emphatically state that the Nigerian Army has indeed risen to the occasion in critical periods to restore law and order through their professionalism and commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards is excited that by this presidential directive, the incessant killing of innocent Nigerians in these two states will come to an end as the Nigerian Army has not failed Nigerians in this regard whenever the need arises.

We are also conscious of the fact that the involvement of the Nigerian Army in most internal security operations in the country has always yielded positive results. We are confident that the activities of bandits in Plateau and Sokoto States would be a thing of the past in no distant time.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards wishes to wholeheartedly appreciate Mr. President and welcome the proactiveness of the Chief of Army Staff to see to the full and total implementation of the order by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards is most impressed with the quick response of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, who has already mandated the General Officers Commanding the army formations in the affected states, directing them to reinforce the police efforts to track the bandits and bring them to justice.

The peace being enjoyed in places like Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and parts of Plateau States is due to the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Army with the support of the political authorities.

This success of these collaborations over time is an indication of the dynamic leadership provided by the Muhammadu Buhari led administration that has yielded the much-desired result in the business of keeping Nigeria safe and secured for the entrenchment of sustainable growth and development.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards wishes to commend the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai for providing an excellent and exceptional atmosphere for officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to keep up with their constitutional mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria, as well as other internal security operations such as this across the country.

This is evident in the fact that it is on record that the Nigerian Army has been actively involved in the war against terrorism in North-East Nigeria, as well as over 20 internal security operations in the country simultaneously.

This is indeed commendable and an indication of how the Nigerian Army has evolved into a professional fighting force since the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since 2015. There has never been a time such as this in the annals of the country where the Nigerian Army has been so stretched yet delivering results.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards wishes to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to lend its support to the security agencies in that task of ensuring that the activities of bandits and other criminal elements are curtailed to the barest minimum across Nigeria.

The Middle Belt Conscience Guards salutes the political authorities in Nigeria for ensuring an enviable level of cooperation amongst the various security agencies in Nigeria.