The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that it was not aware of any ongoing or existing peace path between communities and bandits in the North-west operational theatre.
The military also said that it cannot deploy troops to every community simply because some lawmakers called for deployment to protect their constituencies.
Responding to questions during the biweekly briefing at DHQ in Abuja yesterday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Markus Kangye, said that the military authority is not aware of any peace path between communities and bandits.
Communities in the North-west were alleged to be entering into a peace path with bandit groups to protect their localities, a situation critics said is an affront to the military and the nation’s counter-insurgency effort in the zone.
General Kangye stated: “To the best of our knowledge, we have never had any peace deal with the bandits as a military. When communities want to do that, I don’t think that they seek approval from the military to do so.
“The military authority is not aware of that. The military is conducting its operations in accordance with the rules of engagement and code of conduct for internal security operations.”
“So, if any community goes about calling bandits for a peace path, the military does not support those efforts.” (Thisday)