FG, State govts working to end North insecurity – Presidency

The Presidency on Sunday night said that President Muhammadu Buhari and governors in the North West were working out strategic plan to end insurgency in the zone and the Northern region.

This is contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

According to him, President Buhari’s administration and the North western state governments were pursuing an urgent revamp of the national security apparatus in the subregion following the infiltration of bandits into areas.

The renewed effort to secure the zone, he said, came on the heels of the recent killing of 34 persons in an attack on Tungar Kafau and Gidan Wawa communities in Shinkafi Local Government Areas of Zamfara

President Buhari, who expressed sorrow over the renewed attacks extended his sympathies to the governments and people of Sokoto and Zamfara states and charged all stakeholders, made up of the federal security agencies and the states involved in drawing up the long-term strategic defence plan to begin its immediate implementation.

He said “Under the plan, states are joining the federal government in supporting the security and military operations by providing logistical support.

“States are providing additional vehicles in addition to those provided from the center. The federal government is establishing new forward operation bases and when all of these come together, the ongoing operations will be scaled up.

“The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and the various State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMA are expected to streamline their operations to provide succor to displaced persons, thousands of whom are taking refuge in the neighboring Niger Republic.

“The full implementation of the plan is expected to provide security for residents to return to deserted communities.” he added

President Buhari, he said, assured once again that his administration was fully conscious of its responsibility of protecting the life and property of citizens and will not fail in that regard.