President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday declared Zamfara State a no-fly zone following an upsurge in criminal activities and the recent abduction of 279 students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Jangebe in Talatu-Mafara local government area of Zamfara State.
The president also approved a ban on mining activities in the enclave of banditry, kidnapping and abduction and asked the security chiefs to go after non-state actors causing trouble in the country.
A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone (NFZ), or air exclusion zone (AEZ) is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power’s territory during a conflict.
Aircraft that violate a no-fly zone may be shot down by the enforcing state, depending on the terms of the NFZ.
The national security adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd), who disclosed the government’s action to journalists at the end of the national security council meeting in Abuja said the federal government will not hesitate to use kinetic means to restore normalcy in the country.
“The president has approved, based on our recommendations, the imposition and enforcement of a ban on all mining activities in Zamfara with immediate effect until further notice.
“He has also approved that Zamfara State should be declared ‘a no fly zone” with immediate effect,” he said.
Consequently, Monguno said he had asked all the intelligence agencies to collapse all their efforts into one platform so that with the convergence of efforts, “we will be able to give the required intelligence to the operational elements of government.
“Given the fact that we have a new organisation with new service chiefs, the president has charged all of us to redouble our efforts, especially in view of the occurrences of the last couple of weeks.
“The predominant issues raising concern for the entire nation remain kidnapping, banditry, and of course terrorism in the north eastern part of the country.
“Apart from that, we’ve also had issues with farmers and herders, which have also resulted in some unpleasant ethnic situations,” he said.
Monguno also said the president had asked the security chiefs to go after suspects on the watch list.
“I need to stress also that there are individuals in this country who have assumed a status that is beyond what they should be. The intelligence from our own sources, the intelligence at my disposal and the disposal of the other intelligence agencies, reveals that we have certain entities, certain individuals who are making capital out of insecurity, especially kidnapping.
“This is a situation that has to be brought to an end and I’m sending a warning to anybody who is hiding beneath a veneer of some status, whether official, in terms of an official capacity or traditional or religious, to stoke the flames of disorder will have himself to blame. The government is very serious about this.
“As I said, we’re drifting into a situation that we can no longer afford to lose lives. We are not going to be blackmailed; we’re going to use whatever is at our disposal, while operating within the confines of legitimacy, within the confines of legality.
“But the government has a responsibility to assert its will, using the instruments at its disposal to keep the state moving, alive, happy in prosperity; this will not be compromised,” he added.
According to him, while the government is not averse to the application of non-kinetic means to resolve the security crisis, it will not hesitate to apply kinetic means to restore normalcy to the country.
“I’m sure you’re all aware of the fact that no country will tolerate a group of non-state actors. No sovereign nation will allow a group of non-state actors to bring it down to its knees and render the state in the state of panic, apprehension, mistrust, disorder, and so on and so forth.
“Therefore, both the defence and intelligence organisations have been charged that while we look forward to having a peaceful, non-kinetic resolution, we will not allow this country to drift into state failure and with effect from today.
“Citizens can reside wherever they want to reside. Anybody who is a criminal should be brought to book.
“The president has also warned against ethnic profiling. We have had enough of chaos.
“Any individual that thinks he can cause disunity, should have a rethink,” he said.
