El-Rufai told State House correspondents on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that his visit was to find a lasting solution to the problem.
He said, however, that Nigerian security agencies have been doing their best to contain the menace.
“The Sokoto story only hit the headlines just a few days ago, but in Zamfara, in Kaduna, in Niger, in Katsina, this banditry has become a northwestern scourge and we have been battling it with the support of the military.
“We are very grateful to the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army and in our own particular case, even the Navy has been holding fort Southern Kaduna.
“We have been dealing with this issue and our concern now is with the operations in Sokoto and Zamfara.
“Many of the bandits will move to Kaduna; this is part of the reasons I am here, I will be meeting with the Minister of Defense and the Service Chiefs to try to get more military activities, some operations to be strengthened.’’
El-Rufai said that banditry would affect agriculture unless it was dealt with.
He said that the Chief of Air Staff had assured him that whatever was needed to be done to wipe out the bandits and to enable farmers go to farm as the rains advanced would be done.
“We are confident that things will get better. It is most unfortunate that we have had to deal with it in the Northwest in the same way that Boko Haram ravaged the Northeast.
“These bandits are also becoming a serious problem in the northwest; but the problem is being addressed.’’
