The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the recent flight ban on Zamfara to other states affected by banditry.
Buhari had on Tuesday declared Zamfara “a no-fly zone” and also and banned all mining activities in the state.
The directive, disclosed by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, followed the release of 279 students of the Government Secondary School, Jangebe in Talata-Mafara Local Government Area earlier abducted by bandits.
In a statement on Wednesday, ACF’s National Chairman, Audu Ogbeh, commended the directive and hailed the release of abducted girls.
He, however, said there was need to replicate similar directive in other states such as Benue, Taraba and Borno where there are rumours that helicopters frequently drop arms for bandits and insurgents.
The statement was issued through the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Yawe, in Kaduna.
It read: “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 rumors 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.”
