President Muhammadu Buhari has directed a major military operation in Niger State which has faced continued attacks on its communities by bandits and remnants of Boko Haram terrorists fleeing theatres of war in the North-western and North-eastern parts of the country”.

In a directive to the Defence Headquarters, the President asked the military to respond robustly to the cases of killings and kidnappings in the State and to give effect to the strategic objectives through the use of force.

“The president as Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s armed forces has set the ball rolling for a major military operation in Niger State which has faced continued attacks on its  communities by bandits and remnants of Boko Haram terrorists fleeing theatres of war in the Northwestern and Northeastern parts of the country”, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, quoted his Principal in a statement issued on Sunday.

In his message to the government and people of Niger State, President Buhari said, “I would like to express sincere sympathies to the government and people of the State following recent security incidents.”

The President reiterated that security is a responsibility of every member of the community and only through solidarity and cooperation with law enforcement agencies can we defeat the problems finally.

“The Federal Government is willing to strengthen support and cooperation with all the states. I believe that with the full cooperation of the citizens, we will surely overcome this problem”, said the President.