Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), has warned that bandit groups are relocating from Sokoto State into parts of Benue State following the Christmas Day airstrikes reportedly executed with assistance from the United States.
Aondoakaa made the revelation on Thursday during an interview with Arise Television, noting that the fleeing gunmen have now occupied vast rural settlements in Ukum Local Government Area.
According to him, the displacement has caused a severe security breach in the region.
“After the airstrikes in Sokoto, the bandits shifted into Benue and are taking over villages. In Ukum alone, 10 out of 13 wards have been seized by these groups,” he stated.
He expressed deep concern over the strategic vulnerability of the affected communities, especially because of their proximity to major economic hubs.
Aondoakaa emphasized that the bandits have moved dangerously close to Zaki-Biam, a major agricultural centre known for its extensive yam market.
“The Nkum area, which houses the major Zaki-Biam yam market, is now less than three kilometres from where the bandits have settled. That is extremely worrisome,” he warned.
He urged the Federal Government to replicate the level of international military cooperation seen in Sokoto, arguing that similar coordinated actions are urgently needed in other areas where the groups are regrouping.
“There should be the same cooperation between Nigeria and the US to root them out wherever they start assembling again,” he stressed.
Aondoakaa also linked recent attacks in Oyo State to the bandits’ movement pattern, calling for immediate aerial operations to counter the threats.
“The issue extends to the attack in Oyo. Wherever these criminal groups begin to gather, the Nigerian Air Force must strike, or if capacity is limited, the government should engage in the same collaborative efforts used with the US to prevent further chaos,” he added.
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