The Nigerian Army has demanded that all terrorists and bandits, particularly those in the Northwestern area, surrender unconditionally, emphasizing that there will be no bargaining with those who threaten the country’s stability.
According to the army, the terrorists have been given a difficult time and their only alternative is to lay down their rifles and surrender to the troops.
Major General Godwin Mutkut, General Officer Commanding 8 Division, Nigerian Army Sokoto, told reporters in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, after inaugurating RSM House at the 1 Brigade Cantonment.
“Nobody negotiated with them before they entered the bush, now that the fire is hitting them, they want to negotiate, well I won’t call it negotiation, they should just come out and surrender, negotiation is a trap they have done it in the past and it did not yield any result, so why still repeating the same mistakes again,” General Mutkut asserted.
The Commander stated that the army will not relent in its ongoing operations to rid the region of terrorists.
He underlined that the military will not negotiate with the bandits and will instead go after them in their hideouts to eliminate them. He encouraged the bandits that if they want to survive at the hands of the troops, they should come out of their hideouts and surrender.
According to him, despite the rainy season, troops have been traveling to troublesome regions like Zurmi, Shinkafi, Tsafe, Dansadau, and other troubled locations in Zamfara State, dislodging terrorists from their hideouts.
“Before now there are plenty places that we have not entered but as it is now, despite the rain we are going places where the bandits are not expecting, giving them bloody nose. If they want to survive, they should just surrender.”
General Mutkut further stated that bandits are increasingly targeting soft targets, such as innocent residents in villages or on highways. He asked Zamfara State District Heads and communities to organize groups to protect their areas in the event of a distress call prior to the deployment of troops in the difficult area.
