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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, have called on the Nigerian Army to expand the activities of Operation HADARIN DAJI to all the 19, vulnerable Local Governments areas of the state to checkmate activities of bandits and other criminal elements.
The governor said this has become necessary to stop the incessant attacks of bandits because of the vulnerability of the state which shares border with Niger Republic.
He said that about eight frontline local Governments in the state border the forest exposing them to unwarranted attacks, and kidnapping by the non-state actors and that the unfortunate development has extended into the neighbouring Local Governments like Faskari, Rimi, Kankara, and Batsari among others.
Radda, made this known when he visited the Chief Of Army Staff(COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, at the army headquarters, in Abuja.
The governor who said that the State has come under series of attacks by bandits and other criminal elements, said such unfortunate development has negatively hampered the economy and development in the state including farming.
The governor who commended the Nigerian army for its security operations in the state, said these operations has prevented the situation from deteriorating.
In its effort at improving the security situation in the state, He said that the Government established a security outfit known as the Community Watch Officers (CWOs) to compliment the efforts of military operations and other security agencies in the State.
He told the army Chief that the security outfit was established after due consultation and agreement with the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army (NA) and other existing security agencies in the state as well as the indigenous retired senior military officers to augment the efforts of military operations in conjunction with other security agencies in the state by providing intelligence gathering and other assistance.
He told the COAS, that his visit to the Army Headquarters was to further strengthen the synergy between the State government and the Nigerian army for operational effectiveness and proficiency in the state.
Welcoming the governor to the army headquarters, Gen Lagbaja, who commended the governor for establishing the security outfit to complement the efforts of the military and other security agencies operating in the state, noted that synergy between the State Government and the Nigerian army has greatly enhanced the ongoing operations in the state.
The army Chief while noting that terrorists were migrating terrorists from the North-East to the North-West zone said that the Nigerian Army has developed an appropriate contingency plan to combat the threats as well as expand the troops holding operation HADARIN DAJI.
He thanked the Governor for the donation of vehicles, reactivation of OPERATION MESA among other logistics and provision of welfare support to motivate and boost morale of troops for effective operations.
