Some traditional rulers and highly placed individuals in Zamfara State, have been warned against colluding with bandits to perpetuate nefarious activities.

According to the Federal Government which gave the warning, fresh intelligence had exposed the complicity of some highly-placed traditional rulers in the ongoing killings of Nigerians across the northern parts of the country.

Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, in a statement, also accused those individuals as helping the bandits with intelligence to perpetuate their activities, as well as frustrating security agencies’ efforts to address the challenge.

He further warned any person or group of persons who chose to sympathise with bandits, to retract their steps or face the full wrath of the law.

According to him, the Armed Forces had been directed to deal decisively with anybody identified helping the bandits under whatever guise no matter how highly placed the person may be.

He said government had taken a number of measures to deal with the problem, including the establishment of 8 Division in Sokoto and the conduct of Exercise Harbin Kunama III, to combat banditry in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Birnin Gwari axis of Kaduna state

The Minister called on the people of the affected states to cooperate with the security agencies by giving useful information.