Army celebrates anniversary with children orphaned by terrorists in Zamfara

The 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, celebrated the 161st anniversary of the army with children who lost their parents in the fight against terrorism in Zamfara State.

The brigade’s spokesperson, Suleiman Omale, said the event was dedicated to the memory of the fallen heroes.

Mr Omale, a lieutenant, said the brigade distributed medical consumables, writing materials, clothes and footwear to orphans, the less-privileged and other needy people in the state.

He said the Brigade Commander, Sani Ahmed, a brigadier general, led the distribution of the materials to underscore the army’s commitment to civil-military cooperation.

“This initiative is part of the Army’s ongoing efforts to support the civil community in various ways, promoting goodwill and strengthening relationships.

“The distribution reached approximately 400 orphans and needy individuals, alongside the provision of exercise books, pencils, and pens to Students and Pupils across Eleven Primary and Secondary Schools in the Gusau metropolitan area”, Mr Omale said.

He said the army has also supported rural areas, but this particular event focused on Gusau, the state’s capital.

“The Brigade Commander used the occasion to urge the civil community to discourage informants from aiding bandits by reporting military activities. Instead, he encouraged these elements to repent and surrender their arms to restore peace in the state.

“Brigadier General Ahmed expressed his concern over bandit activities in the state, affirming that troops are working tirelessly to ensure that farmers can cultivate and harvest their crops smoothly, thereby ensuring food security and economic development”, Mr Omale said in a statement.

He appealed for public support and cooperation by providing useful information to the army in the fight against terrorism in the state.

Earlier, the brigade distributed medical consumables to the 14 local government areas within its area of responsibilities. It also distributed customised exercise books to primary and secondary school students in 11 schools in Gusau, Mr Omale said.

Zamfara, like many states in the troubled North-west region, has suffered a decade-long violent armed conflict that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.

A report commissioned by the state government says between 2011 and 2019, terrorists in Zamfara collected more than N3 billion as ransom from the 3,672 people they abducted.

According to the report by a committee set up by the government in 2019 to review the state of insecurity in the state, the activities of terror gangs, popularly called bandits, also led to the displacement of 190,340 people within the period.

The committee, headed by a retired police chief, Muhammad Abubakar, also revealed that 4,983 women were widowed, and 25,050 children were orphaned within the period.