Nigeria Assembles 1,000 Troops to Fight Bandits in Northwest

(Bloomberg) -- Nigeria assembled a 1,000-member armed unit to combat bandits after dozens of people were killed in attacks in the northwestern Zamfara state, 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 authorized 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 defense, according to the statement.

Click here to read previous story on attacks in Zamfara State

To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christopher Kingdon at ckingdon@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura

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