President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a stern warning to notorious bandits terrorising the North East following an attack on a Sokoto market that killed at least 40 persons.
The gunmen had on Sunday attacked the Goronyo market in Goronyo Local Government Area in the Eastern Senatorial District of the state after the vigilantes in the area left town in search of some attackers.
According to a village head in the area, informants were responsible for the attack. He said there is no way bandits would have known that the vigilantes were not in town without someone given them the information.
Confirming the development, the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, said about 30 people were feared dead in the attack.
He disclosed this when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya paid him a courtesy visit.
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“Between last night, yesterday evening till this morning, we were greeted with a very dastardly attack in Goronyo local government, particularly Goronyo Township, where scores and tens have lost their lives and still counting. We’re not sure of the figure. But it is 30 something,” he said.
Reacting to the unfortunate event, President Buhari in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said; “the days of the bandits are indeed numbered because the military capabilities of our forces are being boosted by the acquisition and deployment of advanced equipment.”
According to him, “the bandits are living in the fool’s paradise of invincibility, but reality will soon dawn on them harder than ever before.”
He claimed “the bandits are currently under desperate pressures because of the intense and sustained air and ground operations against them in their hideouts by our security forces.
“The cowardly attacks on innocent people by the bandits show a rearguard action of criminals under pressure. But they will have no place to hide and our gallant security forces will not relent in the current offensive to defeat these callous enemies of humanity.”
