Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said that resolving banditry in the state will aid in addressing the menace in Nigeria.
Lawal stated this when he received the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, at the Government House in the state capital.
The governor expressed confidence in the capacity of the Nigerian military to flush out the criminals.
“As leaders, we must do everything we can to show that we are responsible leaders, so that people can live in peace.
“I don’t believe that these criminals are stronger than our troops; it is not possible. We only have challenges to address.
“That is why, as a leader, I always make sure I do my part to support the troops. Just last month, the Minister of Defence was here to commission the sophisticated operational vehicles my administration procured.
“Whatever we do, if there is no security, it is of no benefit to the people. As a government, we need the military’s cooperation to address this menace,” he said.
Lawal thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support and efforts towards improving security.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank Mr President for his continuous assistance to us, but we still need more.
“We are indeed doing a lot in terms of security, because that is our top priority as a government. I am ever ready to support the military and other security agencies,” he added.
Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff praised Governor Lawal for his ‘uncommon’ support for the Operation Fansan Yamma in Zamfara State.
General Oluyede, who was also in Zamfara on an official visit to the Fansan Yamma theatre operations’ Headquarters in Gusau, acknowledged the collaboration between the state government and the military in addressing security challenges in the state.
“I am here today to commend His Excellency the Governor for the operation Fansan Yamma, which is actually uncommon. I want to thank you particularly for that.
“I equally thank the people of Zamfara, who are quite accommodating. I always say that Nigeria belongs to us,” said the CDS.
He called for collaborative efforts to face the challenges head-on.
“With people like Governor Lawal, we can address these challenges. I am here to visit you and to thank you for your support.
“I visited the Fansan Yamma Theatre Operations Headquarters, where I interacted with troops and highlighted challenges. Some issues were resolved, while others were noted for further action,” Oluyede added.