ABUJA: Nigeria assembled a 1,000-member armed unit to combat bandits after dozens of people were killed in attacks in the northwestern state of Zamfara, the presidency said.
“Following directives by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian air force has begun the deployment of fighter aircraft to Katsina, the airport with the closest proximity to Zamfara State, to make for immediate and effective response to the menace of the bandits,” the presidency said Sunday in an emailed statement.
Buhari also authorised the West African nation’s air force to use satellite surveillance to detect the movement and locations of the bandits, according to the statement. The force includes the army, air force, police, and civil defence, according to the statement.