The Nigerian Army has identified illegal mining, cattle rustling, and banditry as major contributors to the worsening insecurity in the North West region of the country.
The Nigerian Army has stated that the ongoing insecurity challenges in the North West are exacerbated by illegal mining, cattle rustling, and banditry among other criminal activities. Despite efforts to curb these activities, they continue to result in the destruction of lives and livelihoods in the region.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, highlighted these issues at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja on Monday during the opening session of a three-day retreat for retired and serving commanders in the North West. Lagbaja, represented by the Nigerian Army Chief of Operations, Maj.-Gen. Benson Sijen, emphasized the need for the army to stay ahead of the criminals to eliminate insecurity in the region.
“The current security challenges the nation is facing are volatile, complex, and fluid and vary from one zone to another. In the North West, the security situation is made complex and persistent by activities of non-state actors who engage in banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, illegal mining, and violent attacks leading to the destruction of lives and means of livelihoods. The activities of these non-state actors have continued to impact the security environment in the North West region and, by extension, in our country, despite efforts to curb the trend by the Nigerian Army, sister services, and other government departments and agencies,” said Maj.-Gen. Sijen.
The retreat aims to ensure that the North West, a region crucial to food security, is cleared of criminal elements. The Director-General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab (rtd), noted that while the military cannot solve all problems, it should provide the enabling environment for other political initiatives to succeed.
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