President Muhammadu Buhari has described recent spike in insecurity and murderous attacks on communities in Katsina and Borno States as “sporadic incidents” caused by criminals taking advantage of Covid-19 restrictions.
In just about three days, over 20 persons were killed in his home State of Katsina by bandits, while more than 80 people were slaughtered in Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists.
These occurred amidst the nationwide interstate travel movements and 10pm-4am curfew he imposed to curbed on the country to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Buhari made his point in reference to via a dawn broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day, now celebrated every June 12 in Nigeria, as well as the fifth anniversary of his presidency, having first assumed office on May 29, 2015.
The President used the opportunity to highlight achievements of his administration in several key sectors like security, economy and the anti-corruption war.
He said that the security of the nation had improved so much that territories once taken over by insurgents in the Northeast had been recovered and indigenes of those places have returned to live peacefully in their ancestral abodes.
While commiserating with those who have lost members of their families in the carnage caused by terrorists, the President charged State and Local Governments to rev up their intelligence gathering capabilities to enable security agencies nip in the bud any planned attacks, especially in remote parts of the country.
According to Buhari: “In the area of security, we remain unshaken in our resolve to protect our national infrastructure including on-shore and off-shore oil installations, secure our territorial waters and end piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Ending insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the nation is being accorded appropriate priorities and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded such threats across all geo-political zones.
“All the Local Governments that were taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.
“The total collapse of the economies of these areas, which constituted a threat to our food security, has also been reversed with the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.
“I regret recent sporadic incidents with tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage of Covid-19 restrictions. Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice.
“I must implore state and local governments to revamp their intelligence assets so that the Security Agencies can nip in the bud any planned attacks in remote rural areas. I send my heartfelt condolences to all the relatives and communities affected.
“As part of the strengthening of our internal security architecture, the Ministry of Police Affairs was created.
“Amongst others, Government has expanded the National Command and Control Centre to nineteen states of the federation, resuscitated the National Public Security Communication System and commenced the implementation of the Community Policing Strategy.
“Government has similarly established a Nigerian Police Trust Fund as a public-private sector vehicle for alternative sources of funding security activities.
“To reduce security challenges through our external borders especially smuggling of oil products out of the country, inflow of small arms and drugs into the country and equally protect our local manufacturers, we introduced operation ‘Ex-Swift Response’ closing our borders from August 20th 2019, and have considerably succeeded in meeting its objectives as well as improving our national revenue.”
No Comments