Why we declared Zamfara ‘a no-fly zone’ — FG

THE Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Garba Shehu, has spoken on why his principal declared Zamfara ‘a no fly zone’.

President Buhari after National Security Council Meeting that was held in Abuja on Tuesday declared  Zamfara ‘ a no fly zone’

The National Security Adviser, Gen.(retd) Babagana Monguno,announced the presidential declaration two days ago.

The declaration came on the heels of the abduction, and eventual release, of over 279 schoolgirls at  the Government Girls Secondary School at Jangebe in Zamfara.

The decision has attracted criticisms from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and  loyalists of the party.

The party in a statement issued yesterday said the declaration was a plot to take over Zamfara.

Meanwhile, the Area Consultative Forum has welcomed the declaration asking the president to extend it to Borno, Benue, Niger and other states under the siege from bandits and insurgents.

But reacting to the criticisms trailing the development  on BBC, Hausa, yesterday, Shehu cleared the air on why the declaration was made.

The presidential spokesperson said the federal government declared Zamfara a no-fly zone following intelligence that arms were being transported to the bandits with private jets.

He said the jets are also used to cart away gold from the state to Dubai, which, according to him, prompted the ban on mining activities also announced same day the ‘no flying zone’ declaration was announced.

“These jets are being used to pick up gold that is being mined in some parts of Zamfara and exported. This is strong because at the moment,” he said.

“There is a Nigerian gold market in Dubai. The government is losing, the people of this country are losing, that’s why it is said that gold mining is banned for those who are not made by the government.”

The ban on mining activities in Zamfara was first announced in April 2017 amid reports that actors going after the state’s gold reserves are fuelling its security crisis.