On Tuesday, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, arrived in Sokoto State, following a directive from President Bola Tinubu.
Upon their arrival, they held a closed-door meeting at the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, where the acting Commander of Operation Hadarin Daji briefed them on the security situation in the region.
In an interview with newsmen, Matawalle explained the purpose of their visit: “We are here as directed by Mr. President, who called us from China and gave us a marching order to relocate to Sokoto. Our mission is to review our operations and ensure that the people of this region can sleep with their two eyes closed.”
Matawalle emphasized the President’s concern about the escalating insecurity in the Northwest.
“The President is deeply worried about the situation here,” he said. “He instructed me and the Chief of Defence Staff to leave whatever we were doing in Abuja and come to Sokoto to oversee our troops’ operations. Nigeria is a country governed by a constitution under a democratically elected President who wants to leave a positive legacy.”
He also highlighted the President’s strategic appointments of key northern officials, including himself, a Zamfara native, and the Chief of Defence Staff, who hails from Kaduna.
“The President carefully selected us because he understands that our region’s primary issue is insecurity. We are here to flush out the bandits that have been terrorizing our region.”
Addressing the troops, Matawalle urged them not to be disheartened by recent events, such as the killing of four soldiers and the destruction of two MRAPs by bandits led by Bello Turji. “Do not be discouraged by these incidents,” he said.
“The GOC will receive strong support. I encourage you to continue the good work. We are here to support you in eliminating bandits and criminals from this zone.”
In a gesture of support, the Minister also donated N5 million to soldiers injured in the line of duty.
