Arewa group dismisses Katsina Governor’s allegation against military

Arewa Alliance for Development (AAD) has described the allegation labelled against the military of aiding and profiting from terrorism activities in Katsina State as untrue.

Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina reportedly alleged that the military was aiding and profiting from terrorism activities in Katsina State.

This is contained in a statement by the convener of the group, Isyaku Bello, and the secretary, Sani Mahdi, on Thursday in Abuja.

They said the allegation was untrue, adding that the governor might have been fed the wrong facts on the ground.

The group said the allegation was weighty and capable of dampening the morale of troops engaged in military operations in the region.

They urged leaders in the North-West to put in more efforts to sincerely tackle insecurity in the region while giving the armed forces all the needed support.

According to them, the North is “bleeding” economically, but the case would have been worse if not for the military under the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Chris Musa.

The youth group said that statements from leaders should be carefully chosen in view of the security challenges facing the North.

They added that the military had continued to make sacrifices for peace in the region, saying that any misdemeanour should not be generalised.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria have performed creditably, leading to the killings of those disturbing the peace of the region.

“How can you say the AFN is profiting from terrorism when some of them have fallen victim to the criminals causing devastation in the region?

“We urge leaders to, in words and actions, support and not dampen the morale of troops.

“We must not send messages that will cause more tension in the region,” they said.