The Presidency on Tuesday pleaded with Nigerians for understanding on the current rate of insecurity across the country, with an assurance that the nation’s armed forces are fully capable of dealing with the challenges of banditry and terrorism.
The Presidency in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said President Buhari called for patience as the military takes appropriate steps to block gaps being exploited to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens.
The statement is coming on the heels of intense and sustained protests against his administration by concerned stakeholders over the rate of persistent attacks on communities by armed bandits
The statement noted that President Buhari had already approved a joint military and police operation specifically targeted at combing Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States to rid the areas of bandits, assures that surveillance will be improved, with more night vision aircrafts already deployed under “Operation Accord’’.
The operation was launched three weeks ago.
“Nigeria’s military has displayed its capabilities in the past and will show it again by dealing with the current challenges,” the President says.
President Buhari therefore, appealed to the people of Katsina State to be patient and supportive of the ongoing military operations in the state, while sympathizing with those who are bereaved, injured and lost properties.
President Buhari admonishes that taking to the streets for protest could distract the military operations, urging Katsina indigenes not to give up on the military who, over the years, have a strong track record of quelling crises once given enough time.
“The major forests in North Western Nigeria have been identified as home to the bandits in the region. The operation will clear all these forests,’’ he further said.
The youths had recently issued statements, denouncing the administration’s inability to end the attack
The youths acting under the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) put out statements saying that Democracy Day holds no purpose for them as the government somehow wished for the northern states to be struggling under insecurity
But government, in its reaction, said it “has done more than any other – elected or not elected – to curtail and beat back the terrorists.
“No government has done more to foster democracy and freedom of speech in Nigeria than the current administration.
“The fact that CNG is freely able to transmit garbage to the media in the hope they will be widely reported is a testament the freedom of expression and media liberty that exists in our country today.
“Equally, the fact that the government is issuing this statement, in response to the puerile message is a testament that today Nigeria is a country where disagreements can be aired publicly through the press, not through less gentlemanly methods used in the past.
“We hope that CNG will consider the facts and reconsider the unhelpful and inaccurate message their statements contain when issuing them in the future.
