TheCable

A group known as the Northern Patriots (NP) has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for the “improved security” in 19 northern states across the nation. 

According to the group, the meetings held between the president and the service/security chiefs triggered a remarkable turnaround with troops dominating the theatres in the north-east, particularly in Borno, where a handful of attacks threaten the peace of the people and the north-west states of Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Nurudeen Dodo, coordinator of the group, said while a lot still needs to be done in Kaduna to fully comply with the directive of the president, the group said the Nigerian Army has recorded tremendous feats in Niger, Kogi and Benue states.

“Since the President met with the Service Chiefs over the security situation in the country following a general outcry over the killings by bandits in the Northwest, the deployment of troop to areas of operations became upscale and sustained,” Dodo said.

“The visits of the service chiefs to the Northwest generally boosted the morale of troop and beefed up their confidence. While the heat on the criminals was sustained through air and ground operations, many of the bandits fell and some fled in different directions.

“But the majority of them were either neutralised or arrested or made to flee to other neighbouring countries. The number of arrests was however quite impressive within a few days.

“The presence of the chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai, at the battlefield was also of great positive effects as it kept the troops pushing harder until they penetrated the fortresses of the insurgents and subdued them in their numbers.

“There was also high professionalism by the military in carrying out combat operations that there were almost zero civilian casualties while treatment of captured criminals was according to the UN standards.”