The Defence Headquarters has said that relevant military agencies are diligently investigating allegations of banditry sponsorship in the country’s northeastern region.
Disclosing this at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the DHQ’s Director of Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba affirmed that relevant agencies tasked with such responsibilities were diligently investigating the matter.
This came against the backdrop of accusations and counter-accusations between Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and his predecessor and incumbent the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle over sponsorship of banditry in the state.
An unpleasant drama had played out earlier when the Defence Minister challenged Lawal to swear by the Holy Qur’an that he had no involvement in the sponsorship of bandits, and in reply, the governor Lawal vowed to release evidence against the minister.
The Zamfara governor even went further, disclosing that he had also reported the matter to President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The DHQ spokesman spoke when reeling out the troops’ achievements between July and September 2024.
Speaking when asked about the military’s role regarding the allegations involving the two influential Nigerians, he said the matter was being looked into.
He said: “When you talk about what’s going on about the sponsors, I can assure you that the relevant agencies that are saddled with that responsibility are doing a good job. And sooner than later, you will hear some announcements in that regard.”
The DHQ spokesman said notwithstanding, the military was focused on winning the war against banditry, and was focused on destroying their fighting will.
He added, “Winning a war is destroying the enemy’s will to fight. When you destroy the enemy’s will to fight, the war is over, you have won the war
Buba said troops neutralized 1,937 terrorists, including 65 notable insurgent leaders between July and September 2024.
