TheCable

Ibrahim Dosara, Zamfara commissioner for information, says the military needs to pay more attention to the Munhaye forest in the north-west, if banditry is to be successfully addressed.

Dosara said this on Wednesday during an interview on Good Morning Nigeria, a programme on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

The commissioner said the Munhaye forest can be described as the “Sambisa” of the north-west.

The Sambisa forest in Borno state has been the target of major security operations, as it is said to provide a major cover for insurgents.

The forest became more popular after the April 2014 kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state — the students were said to have been held hostage in the forest.

Speaking on banditry activities affecting his state, Dosara said Munhaye forest shares borders with Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, and Kebbi, and serves as a major hideout for bandits.

“We have three major forests in Zamfara state that house the bandits. We have the area called Munhaye forest, which borders Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and this forest houses predominantly the bandits we have in this part of the country,” Dosara said.

“Most of these people have another forest that serves as a transit camp, where whatever cattle they rustle, whatever people they kidnap, they move to that forest which is called Gando forest. The forest borders Gummi, Anka, Bukkuyum, and parts of Birnin Gwari, and it is linked with the Munhaye forest, which is the main forest of the bandits.

“This is where the military now needs to strike very seriously, especially the air component that has started operations from Kaduna state, towards the part of Zamfara where the bandits are dominantly staying now.

“Like I told you, that Munhaye forest, it is joining the states. It is a very large forest. In fact, we can call it Sambisa of north-west states.

“That area is a terrible area for the states and unless that area is dealt with squarely, using air and other strategies of the military, this problem will continue to persist.”

Zamfara and other states in the north, have witnessed a spike in attacks by bandits, leading to killings, kidnapping and destruction of property.

Recently, the Zamfara government had also said 75 schools had been shut in the state over insecurity.