The Federal Government is planning a special military operation to tackle the menace of cattle rustling and banditry in eight states in the North West and North Central geopolitical zones of the country.
The affected states are Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Niger in the North West and Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa in the North Central, who are also affected by the activities of the cattle rustlers and bandits.
All the governors of the affected states attended the meeting except the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari, who was represented by his deputy, Ibrahim Wakala.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, came late to the meeting as a result of the terrorist attack on Kaduna State on Tuesday.
The intensive military option was the outcome of a security meeting between the governors of the affected states and the Chief of Defence Staff, the three Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, representatives of the State Security Services and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps at the Ministry of Defence, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The Head of Service, Alhaji Danladi Kifasi, who declared the meeting open, said the security meeting was summoned at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, following a request by El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, for a review of the security situation in the states affected by the activities of bandits in the area.
Kifasi, who expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, assured farmers and cattle owners of respite from the nefarious activities of bandits operating in the area.
When asked if the operation would take the shape of a special military operation, he said, “It is obvious, it should be obvious.”
However, Kifasi did not disclose the details of the decisions taken at the meeting, citing security reasons.
He added, “I am quite satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. Obviously, for security reasons, we cannot discuss operational matters live on television.
“Farmers, people who have cattle can be assured that cattle rustling would be a thing of the past.”
The HoS stated earlier that the Federal Government decided to invite the governors to the meeting to get first-hand information and their views on the activities of the criminal elements.
He added that the security chiefs were also contacted to share ideas on how to curb the menace.
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