Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has declared Zamfara State a ‘no-fly zone’ and banned all mining activities in the state.

A no-fly zone (NFZ) or air exclusion zone (AEZ) is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power’s territory during a conflict, similar in concept to the aerial demilitarised zone.

The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), who announced this on Tuesday in Abuja, explained that it was part of measures to tackle the security challenges witnessed in the north-western state.

He made the disclosure to State House correspondents after a five-hour National Security Council meeting presided over by the President at the Presidential Villa in the nation’s capital.

According to the NSA, the president also banned all mining activities in the state. He had announced a similar ban in 2019.

Monguno said the president “has charged the new service chiefs to reclaim all areas under the control of bandits, insurgents and kidnappers and all others involved in criminal activities across the country”.

“We are not going to be blackmailed. The government has the responsibility to assert its will. Citizens can reside wherever they want to reside. Anybody who is a criminal should be brought to book,” Mr Monguno said.

“The president has also warned against ethnic profiling. We have (had) enough of chaos. Any individual that thinks he can cause disunity should have a rethink.”