President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered the deployment of 6,000 troops to Zamfara State.
Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle disclosed this in a broadcast on Tuesday evening.
He said the decision was a fallout of his discussion with the President and security high command during his four days visit to Abuja.
21st Century Chronicle revealed that the President had last week declared Zamfara State No-fly-zone due to the surge in the activities of bandits.
Bandit had, before the President’s declaration, abducted over 300 schoolgirls at the Government Girls Secondary School Jengebe, Zamfara State. The girls were released few days later by their captors
Matawalle said: “The troops will soon arrive the state for their operations and we are grateful to the federal government. As you may recall Mr President has ordered the security operatives to shoot dead any found illegally bearing rifle.
“The president has agreed to a timeframe within which the recalcitrant bandits should surrender their weapons and key in to our peace initiative. As you are aware, the peace deal initiated by my administration has recorded success including the disarmament, securing the release of hundreds of kidnapped persons, reopening of markets and the resumption of other economic activities across the state.
“Even though, we are enjoying relative peace as result of this dialogue and reconciliation programme, some armed bandits refused to key in to this programme and they sustain their attacks on our communities. The government has equally observed that there is sabotage by some unscrupulous elements within and outside the state.
“The state government has decided to take the following measures with immediate effect: traditional rulers and local council administrators should remain in their domains to monitor the movement or influx of suspicious characters.
“Conveyance of more than two persons on a motorbike is hereby banned with immediate effect, no movement of motorcycles in groups in all the nooks and crannies of the state and security operatives are directed to apprehend the violators of this order.”
