Insecurity in Sokoto State has continued to receive rapid attention following the deployment of the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, to the state as part of a special operation, according to stakeholders.

The special operation is intended to ferret out bandits and other criminal groups in the North West.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Matawalle solicited the cooperation of the Sokoto State Government and citizenry on September 3 to carry out President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to apprehend bandits and other criminals terrorizing the North West.

As a result, the minister, together with the country’s service chiefs and other high-ranking military officers, relocated to Sokoto in an effort to rid the region of the threat.

According to NAN, bandit attacks and other criminal activities in the state have decreased since Matawalle and the service chiefs’ departure.

Residents of the state have continued to praise the minister and service heads for their initiative, which they say has delivered the intended outcomes.

They did, however, say that while bandit raids and road attacks continued, they could not be compared to how things were before the minister’s move.

Colonel Abdul Ahmad (retd.), Special Adviser to Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State on Carrier and Security Matters, reported favorable results from the Federal Government’s anti-banditry operation in the North-West states.

Ahmad noted that the involvement of the minister and other high-ranking military commanders in the operation had boosted people’ confidence.

He identified the threat of terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry as major setbacks that had displaced and crippled many people and their socioeconomic activity.

Residents can now breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the military is committed to their safety.

Ahmad stated that security remained a high priority on the current administration’s nine-point plan, and that in support of this, the state government established the Community Guard Corps and provided vehicles and other supplies to supplement the Federal Government’s efforts.

He pledged that the state administration will continue to work with the federal government to protect people’s lives and property.

Similarly, Alhaji Bello Gwadabawa, Chairman of the state’s Coalition of NGOs, expressed satisfaction with the military’s operational methods and results thus far.

Gwadabawa stated that insecurity in the zone had long subjected inhabitants to unspeakable difficulties, with many being uprooted.

He stated that residents were experiencing humanitarian problems as a result of the loss of employment, shelter, and other sources of income, as well as living in continual dread and uncertainty.

He said that the death of a prominent bandit kingpin, Kachallah Halilu Buzu, who was neutralised by courageous troops in Zamfara during the military operation, was a positive development.

Gwadabawa praised the assassination of the kingpin, a Nigerien who terrorized the region and provided rifles and ammo to other bandit organizations.

“The victory is a morale booster to both troops and the public. Therefore, we urge the troops to continue with their relentless efforts in pursuit of those who seek to harm innocent residents,” he said.

Alhaji Aliyu Maiyadi, Chairman of the Coalition of Traders Association, praised the military’s efforts to combat banditry in Sokoto and Zamfara states, as well as the entire North-West area.

Maiyadi praised the military’s bravery and quick action, thanking them “for ending the reign of terror unleashed by Kachallah Halilu Buzu Sububu and his cohorts.”

He highlighted the triumph as a monument to the Nigerian Army’s ongoing commitment to the safety of communities.

Another resident, Alhaji Musa Lemu, stated that the successful operation demonstrated the effectiveness of the Nigerian Army’s plan and resolve to clear the region of banditry and terrorism.

The District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, urged the people to support the military operation with genuine intelligence that would aid the war and put a stop to bandits’ nefarious activities throughout the North West.

He said “When you identify any suspicious movement or any person living a flamboyant life without a meaningful source of income, you should inform community leaders or the nearest authority.

“We should all be vigilant, keep an eye on the society because the bandits, kidnappers and other criminals are living within the society and carry out their ugly activities within us.”

However, when addressing reporters on his tour to the North-West theatre of operation, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa stated that all joint task force operations in the zone will be coordinated to combat terrorism and banditry.

Musa went on to say that the visit gave them an overview of the entire company and made them recognize that they needed to streamline procedures.

According to him, there are two operations in the North-West region: Operation Hadarin Daji and Operation Whirl Stroke, and he believes they should be combined into one operation, as is done in the North East.

He stated that “the same thing is being done today for the North-West operation, and we will have one united operation named “Operation Fansan Yanma.”

“The intention is to ensure that we synergise all efforts toward addressing the security challenges in the North-West. It has been the tradition of the bandits to move from state to state.

“So, what we are doing is that since we are harmonising the whole operation, we will come under one commander and then the commander will be able to utilise all the equipment and troops to ensure that we address this critically,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President directed that the minister and service chiefs travel to Sokoto to assess the operation and encourage troops to redouble their efforts.

Experts later linked the recent killing of the terrorist boss to the presence of the minister and service officials.

They also assumed that Bello Turji, another feared terrorist mastermind, would soon be apprehended, as promised by the defence commander.

NAN recalls that when former President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015, he directed the then-newly appointed service chiefs to relocate the defence command and control headquarters to Maiduguri, the epicenter of Boko Haram terrorist activity.

This resulted in the liberation of various local government districts in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe that were previously controlled by the rebels.