By Sani Muhammad, Gusau
The Chairmen Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, says the Nigerian Army are fighting Boko Haram insurgents as well as ISWAP in the most difficult way due to under funding.
He spoke at a joint press briefing when the National Assembly, NASS, Committees led by him and the House of Representatives Chairman, AbdulRazak Namdas, visited the Super Camp 4 Faskari, in Katsina state on Saturday.
According to him, the Army deserved commendation considering their efforts in putting bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers on the run despite challenges on fighting equipments.
Ndume revealed that the two committees were at the camp to assess the success recorded so far in the ongoing operations under Operation Sahel Sanity.
Ndume said, “We asked the pilot to fly low in order to see how farmers are faring this season and we are elated to see some parts of the forests from Kaduna to Katsina, and to be candid, I realized that some social activities have fully returned including farming, they were areas that only hard criminals could reach before,” he said.
Ndume confirmed that the artilleries used in fighting the criminals are obsolete, purchased over 40 years back.
Also speaking, Namdas said that NASS was amplifying efforts to ensure that the Army were provided with more sophisticated weapons and to uplift the welfare of both soldiers and officers.
“I appreciate the level of respect our soldiers have for the rules of engagement guiding operation Sahel Sanity.
“It is worthy of commendation. There has not been reports on further attacks by bandits, kidnapping and cattle rustling as the criminals are no longer found in the bushes.
“The development we have witnessed that have been achieved by the Army,.. encouraged our assessment visit. There were hitch-free movements within the zone, markets are fully operating, farming and other social activities in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto”, Namdas has stated.
