Chief of Army Staff, Buratai

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has warned the people of the country’s North West to expose criminals among their friends and relatives to stem the rate of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other forms of organized crime now ravaging that region.

“If you don’t expose them, the consequences will come back to haunt you later,” he told them during a press conference on Saturday at the Army Super Camp 4 at Faskari in Katsina State which is the operational base of Operation Sahel Sanity which is aimed at flushing out bandits and other deadly criminals in the North West.

Buratai did not forget to acknowledge the operation’s  host communities in both Zamfara and Katsina states who he said had co-operated with his officers and men particularly in the area of information sharing.

Said the COAS: “We will continue to improve on information gathering. Although the gallant troops suffered due to terrain which gave them poor access to some areas during encounter,Nigerian Army was on top of situation.

General Buratai also announced the extension of Operation Sahel Sanity by three months to December. He claimed the extension would enable the Army to consolidate on the successes it has recorded in the operation. He also disclosed that Operation Sahel Sanity has been extended to include the North Central axis of the country.