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I Will Campaign For Tinubu, APC Candidates – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that he will fully participate in campaigning for the Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and others candidates in the party in the ongoing political activities.

The President gave the assurance to dispel concerns that he has not featured in campaigns since the national launch in Jos, Plateau State.

Buhari said that while he remained committed to party politics, his functions and duties as a President will equally be upheld at times.

A statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying in Washington DC in the course of his recent visit to the United States, that he would ensure that candidates of the party attain victory in the general elections next year.”

The President said that the APC campaigns have so far been the most aggressive in recent history.

“They have been impressive and of a high voltage,” compared to the opposition that seems to be playing catch-up.

He expressed strong optimism that the party will win all the elections fairly and squarely.

Presidency: ANAP Foundation Declares Peter Obi Winner, Via Social Media

A body going by the name, ANAP Foundation has declared the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The body said that a nationwide poll it conducted through social media, mainly phone contacts, showed that Peter Obi polled 23 percent of the votes to emerge winner, while the Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu polled 13 percent to emerged second and the candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar polled 10 percent to come third.

The online poll, according to ANAP, placed the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso fourth with 2 percent.

The president and founder of ANAP foundation, Atedo Peterside said, in a statement, said that Peter Obi’s 10 per cent point lead at this stage is significant, but not sufficient to separate him from a leading pack of candidates scoring 13 per cent, 10 per cent and 2 per cent.

“Undecided voters and those who prefer not to reveal their preferred candidate add up to a whopping 29 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. The gender split of undecided voters shows that 38 per cent of women are undecided versus 21 per cent of male voters.”

The percentage of registered voters or voters with their permanent voter’s card as of December is 90 per cent in the North East; 89 per cent in the South West and 88 per cent in the South-South. The lowest voter registration percentages were recorded in the North Central with 87 per cent; North West with 86; and the South East with 84 per cent, the report said.

“The percentage of voters refusing to disclose the name of their preferred candidate has increased sharply from 15 per cent to 23 per cent making it difficult for us to ascertain if any of the candidates has picked up significant momentum between September and December 2023.”

Tinubu Campaign Council Directs Security Agencies To Investigate PDP Leaders

Festus Keyamo

The Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the law enforcement agencies to immediately commence investigation into the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership that certain plots to incite violence and derail the 2023 polls are being hatched somewhere.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council said that by such allegation, it is obvious that the PDP has ‘credible information’ as to those unleashing violence in certain parts of the country.

In a statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson to Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, the ruling party accused the opposition of operating without an iota of shame or respect for the Nigerian people.

“Instead of continuous apologies for those grievous acts of election rigging, money-laundering and other electoral malpractices, it continues to pontificate.

“Based on its latest Press Statement about having ‘credible information’ about certain individuals plotting to derail the 2023 elections, including acts of arson already perpetrated on the facilities of INEC, we therefore call on the law-enforcement agencies to, as a matter of URGENCY, invite the PDP leaders for immediate questioning. The PDP must provide information regarding:

  1. The place and time such a meeting took place and those in attendance
  2. The identities of those who committed these acts of arson on the facilities of INEC
  3. The information must also include the identity of those who sponsored these individuals (if any).

“The PDP should realise that an electioneering process is very serious business and not a time to issue baseless and infantile statements out of want of something to say to the Nigerian people. The Nigerian people have since grown weary of the antics of the PDP.

“We suspect that the latest alarm by the PDP is one of a long list of diversionary measures adopted by the party to deflect attention from its crumbling edifice. Just yesterday, the major leaders of the PDP in Katsina State led by a former Katsina State Governor, Mr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema, and 10 out of the 14-member working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) boycotted the party’s rally in the State and today they issue this statement to deflect attention from that disaster.

“We also state that this gimmick is nothing but crying wolf when there is none. We have said in an earlier statement on this issue some weeks ago that this is the same unnecessary scare-mongering tactics and crass vituperations they employed and engaged in before the 2019 election which led to their crushing defeat.

“We also said before and we repeat it here that ASIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a thoroughbred democrat and one of the major architects of the democracy PDP and Nigerians enjoy today, so he should be the VERY LAST of the Presidential candidates to be accused of undemocratic conduct or underhand dealings in the electoral process.

“The PDP should not joke or play politics with grave  security matters. Having ‘credible information’ as to plots and individuals relating to the attack on INEC offices currently, further plots to disrupt elections is, indeed, a matter of national security.

“This is therefore, a notice to our law-enforcement agencies to immediately invite the PDP leaders for questioning. After all, it takes a thief to catch a thief!”

2023: Why I Will Vote For Tinubu, By Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde

Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde

On 25 February 2023, I will pick this voter’s card, walk to the polling centre and cast my vote for His Excellency, Chief Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the Jagaban Borgu. This is a firm commitment given after a history of association, honour, demographic reality, constitutional requirement, weighing pros and cons as well as the personalities of the candidate and his running mate.

In 2011, I supported the presidential candidature of Nuhu Ribadu. Together we travelled and met with the Jagaba many times in Lagos. Why I pitched my tent with Ribadu then, apart from sharing many things like age, world view, personality, background, geography, etc, was the firm belief that no matter how popular is a northern candidate, he needs to crossover to the South for additional votes and geographic spread that the constitution stipulates. For Buhari to run again that year, 2011, after two previous unsuccessful attempts, would be an exercise in futility as it indeed proved to be after failure of the last minute CPC/ACN merger attempt then. The results did not tie to warrant the second round as calculated in Buhari’s quarters. In 2015 the merger was done and victory was achieved. Elections are about law and numbers. No magic.
There will hardly be any southerner better fit for the position of a partner to the North than the Jagaba today. He is our Abiola, if not better. As some of my readers rightly said, he has patronized us many times: Atiku in 2007 under AC, Ribadu in ACN (2011) and Buhari in APC (2015). This is a consistent friend in need. Honour begets reciprocity.
Furthermore, I am aware that the Muslim identity of the Jagaba has been used to disenfranchise him politically three times. In 2011, Buhari was not keen on the merger that required Pastor Bakare to withdraw for Tinubu because he Buhari was opposed to a Muslim-Muslim ticket after receiving over a decade of bashing from the southern press over shariah.
In 2015, Tinubu was bluntly and brutally told at a caucus meeting that he cannot deputize for Buhari because he was Muslim. He swallowed that and presented Osinbajo.
For the third time, for 2023, the some people want to crucify him for picking a Muslim as deputy against all odds. He believes that the Muslim identity of his running mate will earn him the winning vote and choosing a Northern Christian that will upset the Muslims will deny him our vote.
How honorable would I look if I would I turn my back against a friend in need who earlier provided platforms for my brothers and now believe in my capacity to rescue him? What if my son will contest the Presidency tomorrow and he goes to the Southwest to ask for support? And that day will come, when a northerner will again be in need of that alliance. Let us behave wisely. 2023 is not the end of Nigeria. We must guard the honour that we are known for.
Southern partners of the north have been changing over the years but they remain constantly relevant. The North must not return to those days of serial losses by promoting a candidate acceptable only to it. This is the situation that the Atiku ticket presents today, regrettably.
Our brother, the Waziri, has failed, against all advice, to cultivate the support of the South-south in 2011 after losing the ticket to the incumbent. Instead, he supported Buhari of the opposing CPC. Worse still, in 2015 he abandoned the the PDP, led 5 governors in rebel against the southern President, claiming that it was the north’s turn, and decamped to APC to humiliate Jonathan out of power. Now he has gone to the south-south cup in hand and they paid him back in his own coins.
Still after Bubari’s 8 years, in 2022, he blocked the emergence of Southeast and south-south candidates, claiming that rotation is a party matter. This produced Peter Obi ticket and the G5; two blocks that will deny him the traditional PDP votes in the Southeast and South-south. Southwest is already effectively blocked against him by Tinubu.
The Waziri is effectively left with the North. Here, Benue, Plateau and Southern Kaduna are not likely to vote for “another Fulani”, as we heard them declare repeatedly. The votes of the Muslim North are themselves divided for and against him, not united as they were for Buhari. Borno and Yobe, will massively vote for APC. The ruling party even for kinship will also take Kwara and Kogi. Then incumbency will retain for APC the states of Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Gombe and possibly Katsina. Yes, Waziri will get Adamawa and Taraba and possibly Sokoto and Kebbi. Bauchi and Nasarawa are still uncertain for him.
Then as Babachir and some anti-muslim irredentists are threatening northern Muslims of humiliation, a block vote, including Kano, in favour of Muslim-Muslim ticket is possible. That will seal the fate of Atiku decisively.
Now, This calculus does not add up to an electoral win in any way. It is a recipe for the disasters of 2003, 2007 and 2011 to repeat themselves.
Babachir’s insolence is an evil that must be disproved and defeated by both Muslims and Christians. Those who failed to earn the APC VP ticket should return and introspect on why they were not electorally viable enough to win it, not resort to blackmailing and threatening 120 million Muslims. That will only prove the evil they are, which made it right for the Jagaba to reject them. Nobody can publicly say he will teach 120 million citizens a lesson and be allowed to succeed unless if those citizens are worse than donkeys. No lion can stand an army of 120 million donkeys.
Now Babachir’s insult has pushed even the reluctant Muslims to prove their electoral worth as they are increasingly rallying behind the Muslim-Muslim ticket. The majority well-meaning Christians should also do the same. Babachir is posing an existential threat to all northerners. If there is a Christian that will be fair to Muslims tomorrow, I and many Muslims will vote for him, as many of us did for Obasanjo and Jonathan between 1999 and 2011. But a genocidal psychopath of whatever religion does not deserve to be even a deputy local government chairman anywhere in this country. Let us leave him to grumble and crumble alone.
Same faith tickets are not new in Nigeria and they are presently practiced in all predominantly Christian States like Plateau, Benue, Edo and even in a number of Southwestern states where Muslims are predominant. Their Muslims have not threatened national security for their selfish reasons as Babachir and his gang are doing up here. Tam.
Beyond the acquaintance, honour of reciprocity, averting past electoral disasters suffered by the North and the existential challenge of the Babachirs, the Tinubu/ Shettima ticket presents a lot of pros which my readers expressed when I asked their opinion on my Facebook page last week. I share the views of those who are convinced of the Jagaba’s record performance in Lagos, arguably the best that the country has known of a governor since 1999, which, according to the readers,came from his courage, team work, modernity, foresight, talent hunting, etc.
For a person who also believes in efficiency, I cannot but be attracted to the Jagaba. Nigeria needs system upgrading and in some areas even disk reformatting. The Jagaba is the perfect person with the record to handle that squarely. No one better than him can pursue digital reform in commerce, taxation, education, governance, communications, etc. His pragmatism and penchant for modernity is needed to solve our security and other challenges. Who can project the success story of Lagos at the national level better than its original author—the Jagaba? None of my readers has denied him these qualities.
From among my readers who are opposed to the Tinubu Presidency are a number of cons which arise from five sources: the perceived limitations of age and much touted fake stories of his sickness; the accusation of supporting OPC to kill Hausas in Lagos while he was governor; the perception of tribalism, as the Igbo and Hausa too are accused of by others; his affiliation to APC and the President, considering what the readers consider as the failure of the government in many areas in the past 8 years; and the predominantly Christian nature of his house.
Well, on the first and last issue, the runner-up candidate, the Waziri of Adamawa, cannot completely acquit himself of them either. He too is old. Being over 70 he must have evidently slowed down and he cannot disclaim having age associated illnesses. Above 60, one must have one or two. They both have slip tongues as a President Buhari Buhari did in Germany and suffers issues of memory many times. Jos were both misnamed their parties—PDAPC and APDP—was no coincidence. Kwankwaso had it once in Kano too: NPCP. Mischief makers do not deserve our attention.
Even at 61, I have had many times that I could not recall names instantly. The brain just fails to retrieve the information from the disk as fast as when I was much younger. I had the privilege of meeting the Jagaba recently and was surprised that he negated those stories by holding me to a night conversation of one hour after a long day he had in Ebonyi. I watched him appear from his room, walked towards me straight, shook my hands and sat right beside me. There is no sign, then and not in his appearance at Chattam House and the BBC a week later, of a debilitating sickness as purported and he appears to get increasingly stronger.
In any case, the strength of any leader is not in the class of his weight; otherwise, America would have made Tyson a President. It is in the people a leader rallies around him. To be fair to the Jagaba whose talent-hunting obsession is renowned, his Presidency as an institution will run unhindered by his age. He cannot have our bests, the Kashims, Elrufai’s, the Ribadus , the Hadizas, the Modibbos, the Arabis, etc. and fail to perform. But if he will resort to family and friends instead of competence, then I concede that his age will become aggravating. He is not as old as Mahathir Mohammed or Joe Biden after all, not minding similar attacks from Trump during the 2020 campaigns about the latter.
In the end, as Muslims, we must believe that “no soul shall die except by the will of God, a decree determined”, as He said in the Qur’an. Period. Furthermore, the constitution has foreseen that and made the necessary provisions, whether an elected President is living or dead.
The Christian component of the Waziri’s family cannot be denied and neither is he a better practicing Muslim than the Jagaba. None of them is a Sheikh or Imam, anyway.
The OPC related killings cannot be ascribed to him just because he was the Governor of Lagos. We northerners in particular must understand that by now better than anyone. Unfortunately for the Jagaba, he was the Guinea Pig of insurrection in this dispensation. When the OPC came, we had no experience of Plateau, Boko Haram and Bandits. Is it justified for anyone now to equally accuse Governors Sheriff, Shettima, Zulum, Yari, El-rufa’i or even the President who has all our war arsenal of being supporters or financiers or Boko Haram or Bandits? What will be our reaction—believe him or refute him? So if the late Sheikh Jafar were alive, he would have withdrawn his fatwa on the Jagaba for he would have known the hard way that Governors do not have the power of controlling high level violence. They can only cooperate with the Federal Government, which the Jagaba did and OPC was quelled though not before it left many innocents dead, as Boko Haram and bandits are doing today.
All the major tribes accuse each other of tribalism. President Buhari is accused of preferring Hausa Muslims in appointments. The Hausa see the Yoruba as more tribal though. But the Jagaba has set a record here. More than any governor, he has elevated non-natives of Lagos including Hausas to levels of commissioners, helped many grow their businesses in Lagos including Dangote. Of course, as with Buhari in 1984 or Elrufai in FCT and now Kaduna, anyone wanting to modernize cities has to encroach into the business spaces of the common man who is fond of erecting illegal structures. The Jagaba cannot modernize Lagos by magic. He has to touch such structures belonging to commoners too. But all said, I think his inclination for merit in administration will blunt his natural instinct of kinship, which we all share anyway. He may not give 3 ministries to a single Hausaman—as Buhari did to Fashola—but he will not suppress northern talent at all. His record denies that flatly.
Finally, there is nothing he can do regarding the failure of APC. He is undoubtedly its chieftain but not more. The President and members of his cabinet should carry their cross—and so should governors, each in his own domain. The Jagaba has acknowledged the successes of the President and has promised to build on his good works. Where necessary, he will change course, surely. I am Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he told the BBC. Come again. Is the alternative—the PDP—in a better position than the APC when it comes to failure of administration?
So put generally, the pros of the Tinubu Presidency would by far outweigh its cons. Yet, there is another pillar of the ticket we must mention before we conclude this piece—the backup.
In his choice of a running mate, the Jagaba has made a very strategic one. Choosing Kashim earns him not only a reliable and loyal VP, but also a credible one. His Excellency, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the former Governor of Borno State and a present senator, is not only highly competent but also carries a political aura that can shelter the entire North, coming from the prestigious Kanuri tribe and with the personal humility to listen, respect, engage and accommodate all. He is among our best.
The Jagaba did not look for a lackluster yes man of no firm roots. He went for a talent that is both loyal and strong enough to support the President, humble enough to follow him and honest enough to caution him. That is my friend and master, Kashim. With the Jagaba as the President and him as the VP, I can find no safer shelter among the 2023 presidential camps.
These are my reasons for answering the call to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket. And I call on every dispassionate mind to do so for the sake of unity and progress of our country. I am not only promising this cause my vote and that of my family, but I will work hard to earn it many more, as much as my talent, body and resources can afford me in the next two months. Come with me.
May God be with us and guide us to what is best for our dear country as we vote for the next President on 25 February 2023.
Tilde wrote from Bauchi.

CBN Reverses Itself On Cash Withdrawal Limits

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed its cash withdrawal limit policy and is now N500,000 weekly for individual and N5 million for corporate organization.

The Apex Bank attributed its decision to review the cash withdrawal limits to “feedback from stakeholders.”

A circular issued today, December 21, by the Director of Banking Supervision, Haruna Mustafa said: “the CBN has consequently makes the following reviews:

The maximum cash weekly limit for cash withdrawal across all channels by individuals is now N500, 000 while corporate is N5million.”

It said that in a situation where cash withdrawal above N500,000 for individuals and N5million for corporate is required for legitimate purposes, such requests shall be subject to a processing fee of 3% and 5% for individuals and corporate organisations respectively.

The CBN had on December 6, announced that cash withdrawal limits would be N20,000 daily and N100,000 weekly for individuals and N500,000 for corporate organisations.

The new policy generated outcries across the country, as Nigerians called for the review of the policy.

Tinubu Holds Massive Town-Hall Meeting In Calabar On Blue Economy

Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu held a massive town-hall meeting with stakeholders in Calabar, Cross River State today, December 20.

Tinubu’s running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, in the company of the Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayede, were in attendance. The meeting was essentially on Agro Industrialization and The Blue Economy.

 

UK Redesigns Banknotes With Image Of King Charles

The Bank of England in the United Kingdom has come up with new look of banknotes, featuring the image of King Charles.

According to the Bank, the portrait will be the only change to existing designs of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes and will start to enter circulation from mid-2024.

It said that the new notes will feature the King’s portrait on the front and in the see-through security window.

It said that the existing notes will still be accepted in shops after the new notes begin to circulate.

Queen Elizabeth was the first and only monarch to appear on circulating Bank of England banknotes, starting in 1960. Notes issued by Scottish and Northern Irish banks do not depict the monarch.

There are about 4.5 billion individual Bank of England notes worth about £80bn in circulation at present.

The Bank of England said that, following guidance from the Royal household, the new notes would only be printed to replace worn notes or to meet increased demand, in order to minimise the environmental and financial impact of the change.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, said that he was “proud” of a “significant moment” with the new design.

Fifty pence coins bearing the image of King Charles III have already entered circulation via post offices across the country. An estimated 4.9 million of the new coins are being distributed to post offices – about half of the total number earmarked for circulation – to be given in change to customers.

Coins carrying the image of the late Queen will still be accepted in shops, in the same way as banknotes.

For anyone taking part in a family Christmas quiz this year, it is worth remembering that, in ascending order, the reverse side of current polymer Bank of England banknotes features Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing.

Cash use has become far less frequent when compared to debit cards, due primarily to the use of contactless payments and then accelerated by the Covid pandemic. The buying power of specific coins and banknotes has also been diluted by rising prices.

However, there is still keen interest from consumers and collectors about the images used on cash. Collectors will be particularly excited to get their hands on the lowest serial numbers of the new King Charles banknotes when they appear.

Source: BBC.

Taliban Bans Afghan Women From University Education For Now

The Taliban have announced the closure of universities for women in Afghanistan, according to a letter from the higher education minister.

The statement said that the move is until further notice and that the new restriction will take effect immediately.

Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher education ministry has said that female students would not be allowed access to the country’s universities until further notice.

According to Aljazeera, a letter, confirmed by a spokesperson for the higher education ministry today, December 20, instructed Afghan public and private universities to suspend access to female students immediately, in accordance with a Cabinet decision.

“You all are informed to immediately implement the mentioned order of suspending the education of females until further notice,” said a letter, issued to all government and private universities and signed by the Minister for Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem.

The latest Taliban restriction on female education is likely to raise concerns in the international community.

The spokesman for the ministry, Ziaullah Hashimi, who tweeted the letter, confirmed the order to several news agencies, including AFP and the Associated Press.

I Will Open All Borders If I’m Elected President – Atiku

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has promised to restore peace and security as well as open all the borders in the country if elected to lead the country in 2023.

Atiku, who is former Nigeria Vice President, also promised to restore the country’s wealth and also ensure that children return back to school and face their studies.

Speaking today, December 20 at the venue of his campaign rally held at Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina metropolis, Atiku alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for the past seven years, achieved nothing for Nigerian citizens but only brought insecurity and hunger to them.

“What I want to confirm to you is that all the progress made in Katsina State was under the PDP administration. Even this stadium (Muhammadu Dikko Stadium) and all the roads in the state were built by past PDP administration. The house of assembly complex, the State Secretariat, and every other thin that you can think were built by the PDP government.

“To that regards, I want to assure you that it’s high time to leave APC and retract our steps to the path of progress. Come to PDP so that Nigeria can progress again.”

This was even as his running mate, who is the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, said that Nigeria currently is in a challenging situation and needs a man that can be trusted to bring it out of its present predicament.

“In Atiku Abubakar we have someone we can trust. We need someone like him that has enough experience to take us out of the challenges, out of the hunger and poverty out of the insecurity we have found ourselves in.

“There’s no one better than Atiku in the Nigeria of today that will take us out of the problems that we are facing today,” Okowa said.

The Katsina PDP Governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado, thanked the people of the state for turning out en masse to receive PDP’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, urging them to ensure that they vote PDP from top to bottom in order to end the sufferings experienced in the country under the APC led administration.

Blood Flows In Zamfara As Soldiers Kill 213 Terrorists, Lose 10 Men, Some Civilians

It was a total showdown and exchange of gunfire between the soldiers and terrorists in Zamfara communities at the weekend, leading to the killing of 213 terrorists and their collaborators, with military losing 10 personnel while some civilians also got killed as the terrorists took to their heels.

Information had it that the air component and ground troops of Operation Hadarin Daji stormed Malele village in Dansadau Local Government Area of Zamfara State with Aircraft from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and ground troops of the Nigerian Army, providing strong back-up in sustained well-coordinated joint operation.

It was gathered that terrorist activities in the area have been exacerbated due to the lingering crisis between Hausas and Fulanis over the devouring of farm produce thereby making the area very volatile, especially in Malele, Maigoge, Yan Sawayu, Ruwan Tofa, Mai Awaki, and Zama Lafiya, all under Mutunji district of Dansadau Emirate Council.

A defence intelligence operative had said that the security services mobilized their troops, launching a series of attacks and airstrikes against those warring terrorist coming from different parts of the country.

“Both the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operations are yielding fantastic results in the area with several terrorists being eliminated as the battle is still on.

“Bandits who were fleeing from NAF airstrikes ran into a small village called Mutunji to take refuge. After ensuring that civilian lives in the village were not at risk, the NAF aircraft undertook a precision strike at the exact location while the ground troops cleared the fleeing bandits in their escape bids,” the operative said.

Credible sources in the community confirmed that 10 soldiers paid the supreme price while their colleagues, pounded the terrorists.

“At least we counted 213 bodies of the bandit terrorists and their collaborators. Some civilians too were killed in what the military called ‘collateral damage’ when fleeing bandits hid in the communities.

“The attack on troops occurred when the troops with the support of local vigilantes were  navigating the terrains for counter-attacks.”

Governor Bello Matawalle, through Zailani Bappa, his Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the families of victims earlier caught in military fire against the marauding terrorist.

“I wish to, on behalf of myself, my family, the state Government and the entire good people of Zamfara state, extend my sincere sympathy to those who were injured and the families of those who died as a result of this collateral damage,” the Governor said.

Source: PRNigeria

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