Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu stated in a press release that the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan Ali (retd), requested the deployment of a battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State in addition to the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto.
Following fresh attacks in rural villages in Zamfara State, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a military crackdown on banditry and other criminal activities in the state, the presidency announced on Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu stated in a press release that the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan Ali (retd), requested the deployment of a battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State in addition to the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto.
Mr. Shehu added that the president also approved the transfer of the 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army from Sokoto to Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
In a related development, Mr. Buhari has approved the establishment of an “intelligence fusion center” in Maiduguri, Borno State, tasked with gathering and sharing information that can be used to combat Boko Haram.