President Muhammadu Buhari has issued yet another hollow threat against rampaging terrorists in Nigeria’s Northwest, ordering the security agencies to step up their acts.
“These criminals should stop pushing their luck too far by believing that the government lacks the capacity to crush them,”Buhari said in a statement rolled out by spokesman Garba Shehu.
According to Shehu, Buhari has directed the military, security and intelligence agencies to take immediate steps to close all existing gaps in their operations being exploited by criminals to wreak havoc.
Buhari also expressed hope that the Special Operation launched by the military in the wee hours of Thursday from Maru Local Government area of Zamfara would prove decisive in ridding the state of the “frequent and horrifying” bandit activities.
The latest statement Thursday night was Buhari’s reaction to Wednesday massacre of about 50 villagers by the terrorists in Gusau LGA of Zamfara.
At the weekend 30 villagers were killed by the terrorists in Maru LGA.
As usual, Buhari criticised the latest killing of tens of people by bandits in Gusau LGA of Zamfara State, warning that “such wanton disregard for life will be brought to an end sooner than later.”
Buhari said “this insane and persistent violence against innocent people must stop”, according to Shehu.
“The violence against poor villagers who are struggling with poverty and other severe economic challenges is not going to be tolerated by this administration.”
He called on the security forces to “redouble their efforts in bringing an end to this mindless violence against innocent people.
“Let’s not give these criminals any opportunity to succeed by taking the war to their own camps and stop them in their tracks before they even have the time to respond under our massive fire power.”
The president reassured the people of Zamfara that “despite the latest set back in our efforts to protect our citizens, there will be no compromise in our determination to defeat these enemies of humanity.”
President Buhari had issued such sops countless times, promising to stop the wave of killings and kidnapping, including of schoolchildren.
After the kidnap of Kankara schoolboys in Katsina last December, Buhari said it would be the last under his watch.
But since then schoolchildren have been kidnapped in Zamfara and Niger states.
In Niger, the military base in Allawa Shiroro was sacked, with the soldiers abandoning the place, leaving the people to their fate.
In Kaduna, the terrorists even went for upgrade targeting students of tertiary schools, in Greenfield University and Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation.
And the killings continue as well.
