By ABBAS BAMALLI

The Defence Headquarters said on Thursday that for the past three years, the Nigerian Armed Forces eliminated no fewer than 1,770 terrorists and arrested 3,070 across the five Northwest states.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa made the disclosure at a sensitisation exercise, organised for Katsina communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the CDS was represented by Brig.-Gen. Dahiru Abu-Mahawashi, the Deputy Director, Defence Media Operations.

The CDS explained that the military had also seized more than 1,000 different types of weapons, as well as 12,000 different bullets from the criminals.

He said more than 2,515 victims were rescued during various operations within the period in Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States,

According to him, the army is doing its best in fighting the security situation, as a series of successes have been recorded, not only across the northwest states, but the country as a whole.

?This fight for peace is not just for the military, it?s a fight we must all join together, therefore report suspicious activities, protect one another, and guide your youths.

?We must remember peace does not grow in silence, it grows in unity. Let us speak, let us listen and let us forgive, because without forgiveness, we cannot heal.

?Together, we are stronger than anyone, together we can silence the sound of violence with the voice of peace.?

The CDS noted that these successes led to the one-day sensitisation for the residents of various communities in Batsari and Dutsin-Ma Local Governments Areas (LGAs) of the state.

According to him, the exercise tagged, ?Military Diplomacy Campaign to Communities and Cultural Groups Across Nigeria, focuses on Strengthening Community Cooperation for National Security?.

Musa further assured the residents that the army is re-strategising to ensure that peace returns to all nooks and crannies in the frontline communities.

Some of the community members, who spoke during the exercise, revealed that peace had returned to some communities due to the recent dialogue with the repented criminals in Batsari.

Malam Lawal Rabi?u, expressed concern over the dialogue, saying that bandits from the neighbouring LGAs where such dialogue did not take place, continued to attack them on a regular basis. (NAN)

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