Extend ‘a no flying zone’ declaration to Borno, Taraba, Benue, others – ACF tells Buhari

THE Pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has asked  President Buhari not to restrict the declaration of “a no flying zone” to Zamfara.

The group said the president should extend it to other Northern states known to be hotspots of insurgency and banditry.

 This demand was contained in a statement issued, today, by the National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Emmanuel Yawe, in Kaduna.

According to the statement, the government should extend the declaration of “a no-flying zone” to states like Benue, Taraba, and Borno where there are rumours that helicopters frequently drop arms for bandits and insurgents.

The forum also congratulated the government and people of Zamfara State on the safe release of the kidnapped schoolgirls in the state.

The statement read in part, “Arewa Consultative Forum congratulates the people and government of Zamfara State on the safe release of the kidnapped schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in the state.

“We are also happy with the federal government’s decision to ban flights in the state.

“We also plead with the government to extend the ban to other states like Benue, Taraba, Borno where there are rumours that helicopters frequently drop arms for bandits and insurgents operating in these states.

“We believe that such an extended ban will curtail the operations of the criminals in these areas.”

The President, following the kidnap and subsequent release of the 279 students of the Government Secondary School, Jangebe in Talata-Mafara Local Government Area by bandits, declared the state “a no flying zone” and banned all mining activities in the state.

The National Security Adviser to the  President made the directives known shortly after the National Security Council meeting held in Aso Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.