Emmanuel Onani 
…regrets Zamfara has no internal security platform
…decries killing of 16 security within 13 days
The ongoing counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations across the country might not achieve the desired objective without the unflinching support of the public, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Thursday.
To buttress its position, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) noted that the killing of 9 soldiers, and 7 security personnel between June 1 and 13, would not have happened had the citizens seen the fight against insecurity as a whole-of-society approach.
The Military’s position was conveyed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, in response to recent comments by the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.
“On the other hand, the attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to weighty allegations labelled against the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) by the Zamfara State Governor in a recent interview…
“The AFN hereby makes it unequivocally clear that, it is a professional force that is subservient to political authority, particularly the political leadership of Zamfara State. 9.
“The military will not join issues with the Governor, rather we choose the part of cooperation over conflict with the state Governor and look forward to engaging with him on these matters constructively.
“The Military has lost a total of 9 men; father’s, sons, brothers, and uncles. Children, who no longer have fathers.
“Just in June, in Zamfara State, we lost 9 soldiers. Other security agencies in the state, this month, have lost 7 (of their men).So, we will constructively engage the Zamfara State Governor”, the Military said.
It added thus: “The military will not join issues with the Governor, rather we choose the part of cooperation over conflict with the state Governor and look forward to constructively engaging with him on these matters.
“Troops of Op Hadarin Daji deployed to Zamfara State have lost 9 personnel so far in the month of June 2024. These killed in-action personnel are a painful testament to our tireless efforts, commitment and sacrifice to restoring peace and security in the state.
“Nevertheless, the allegations against the military and security forces operating in the state really need to be analysed impartially and understood. The situation underscores the fact that winning the war without the support of the people of the state is close to impossible. 12. Interestingly, despite the state being described as the epicentre of kidnapping.
“The state has no internal security operation outfit to coordinate activities of security agencies operating in the state, as is found in other states. This situation leaves much to be desired. 13. Overall, the military will continue to work tirelessly to restore safety and security across our nation”.
It concluded by saying: “The armed forces understand that the terrorists exist for the sake of war, and therefore for the sake of peace they must be eliminated.
“Our war effort is therefore designed and crafted to defeat and destroy the terrorists as well as dismantle their terror infrastructure across the country.
“Momentum is crucial to our operations and it is the reason we take the fight to the enemy and allow them no respite.
“Accordingly, our operations are focussed on our war efforts, our mobilization and air strikes to destroy the terrorists”.
