July 13, (THEWILL) – The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has dismissed calls for amnesty for bandits and terrorists and directed clampdown on criminal elements.
Lagbaja spoke on Wednesday, in Abuja, when he received the Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Lawal, on a courtesy visit.
The COAS, who said that the amnesty programme has failed to achieve its intended purpose in the past, observed that the amnesty gave criminals the opportunity to regroup and attack defenceless citizens.
He thanked the Governor for feedback on the activities of troops deployed in the State to restore peace.
Noting that Zamfara terrain was difficult to navigate, Lagbaja had directed the deployment of more platforms and the release of more funds to reactivate unserviceable platforms to boost troops’ operations in the State.
“So, I want to appeal to you, Your Excellency, that as we come up with this strategy to address the issue of the Asaki and other regions, the State Government should be disposed to the implementation of the measures that we will recommend so that together we will address the activities of these criminal elements. We also have the issue of the amnesty program that has been instituted and which has failed,” he said.
