The Nigerian Army has reiterated that the military will not negotiate with terrorists but will rather go after them in their hideouts to eliminate them..
The General Officer Commanding, 8 Division, Nigerian Army Sokoto, Major General Godwin Mutkut made this known while speaking with journalists in Gusau, Zamfara State capital at the 1 Brigade Cantonment.
The General advised all terrorists and bandits especially those in the Northwestern region to surrender unconditionally, stressing that there would be no negotiating with those who threaten the nation’s peace.
According to the army, the terrorists have continued to be given a tough time and their only option is to drop their arms and surrender to the troops.
“Nobody negotiated with them before they entered the bush, now that the fire is hitting them, they want to negotiate, well I won’t call it negotiation, they should just come out and surrender, negotiation is a trap, they have done it in the past and it did not yield any result, so why still repeating the same mistakes?" General Mutkut asserted.
The Commander noted that the army would not relent in its continuous efforts to clear terrorists from the region.
"The military will not negotiate with the bandits but will rather go after them in their hideouts to eliminate," he stated.
"The troops have been going to troubled places like Zurmi, Shinkafi, Tsafe, Dansadau and other troubled areas in Zamfara State in spite of the rainy season, dislodging the terrorists from their hideouts.
“Before now there are plenty places that we have not entered but as it is now, despite the rain we are going places where the bandits are not expecting, giving them bloody nose, if they want to survive, they should just surrender.
"The bandits are now hitting on soft targets especially on the sight of innocent citizens in the villages or highways."
He advised District Heads and communities in Zamfara State to form groups that would protect their communities any time there was a distress call before the arrival of the troops.