The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, said on Thursday that in the last three years, the Nigerian Armed Forces eliminated 1,770 terrorists and arrested 3,070 across the five states in the North-West.  

Mr Musa stated that the military also seized more than 1,000 different types of weapons, and 12,000 different bullets from the criminals.

He said more than 2,515 victims were rescued during various operations within the period in Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states,

According to him, the army is doing its best in fighting the security situation, as a series of successes have been recorded, not only across the northwest states, but in the country.

He said, “This fight for peace is not just for the military, it’s a fight we must all join, therefore report suspicious activities, protect one another, and guide your youths. We must remember peace does not grow in silence; it grows in unity. Let us speak, let us listen and let us forgive, because without forgiveness, we cannot heal. Together, we are stronger than anyone, together we can silence the sound of violence with the voice of peace.”

The CDS noted that the successes led to the one-day sensitisation for the residents of various communities in Batsari and Dutsin-Ma Local Governments Areas of the state.

According to him, the exercise tagged, “Military diplomacy campaign to communities and cultural groups across Nigeria,’’ focuses on strengthening community co-operation for national security.

Mr Musa further assured the residents that the army was re-strategizing to ensure that peace returns to all nooks and crannies in the frontline communities.

Some of the community members, who spoke during the exercise, said that peace had returned to some communities due to the recent dialogue with the repented criminals in Batsari.

One of them, Lawal Rabi’u, expressed concern over the dialogue, saying that bandits from the neighbouring LGAs where such dialogue did not take place, continued to attack them regularly.

(NAN)