Bandits have infested communities all around the expansive premises of Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) located in Jaji in Igabi local government area of Kaduna State.
AFCSC is a training facility for the Nigerian Armed Forces, comprising the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.
The institution also trains senior personnel of paramilitary organisations and foreign military officers.
The development is coming some weeks after bandits attacked and abducted 39 students of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Mando, also in Kaduna and kidnapped no fewer than 39 students.
Residents of the community said the bandits’ intention was to abduct senior military officers of the college.
The Commandant of the college, Air Marshal Olayinka Alade, confirmed the development on Wednesday in Abuja when he visited the Army Headquarters to brief Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen general Ibrahim Attahiru.
He said: “There are some communities around the school that have developed and because it is like part of the college, maybe they are hiding under that cover, so some bandits are there. Because of that, there is collaboration with other institution’s heads in the college. Constantly, we try to conduct an impromptu searching. We conduct search and patrol from time to time.
“What we discovered now is that, not too far ahead, some communities… it is like all these bandits have made all that place their aim, so I discussed with GOC 1 Div. From time to time, we need to carry out clearance operations.”
Alade said the institution will launch impromptu searching and clearance operations in some communities where the bandits are operating around the college having informed General Officer Commanding 1 Division in Kaduna.