Buhari Gives Stern Orders To Security Chiefs Over Increasing Banditry, Kidnapping

By Talatu Bala

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday charged the security agencies to put their acts together and deal ruthlessly with bandits, kidnappers and other security challenges in the country.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, briefed State House correspondents at the end of about two hours meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the President said that no stone should be left unturned towards securing every part of the country.

He said “The security meeting we just had with Mr. President today is to review the strategy that we are adopting in confronting security issues in Zamfara State especially and other places nationwide.

“And this review strategy is to address all the issues including kidnapping, banditry and other associated issues confronting the nation.

“And we are coming out with a revised strategy to handle those challenges.” he said

Asked if there was any marching order from the President, he said “Yeah, the marching order is for us to deal with this issue immediately and ruthlessly and ensure that all those bandits are immediately dealt with and all those issues that are bordering with our security are properly addressed.”

The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said that the frequent kidnapping on the Abuja-Kaduna road have been tackled.

He said that the route is now very safe.

He said “I want to assure Nigerians that Kaduna–Abuja roads are now safe. We have cleared the roads, we have arrested a lot of kidnappers and in confrontation with some of them, some were fatally injured.

“So the road is cleared. Our patrol teams, the combined security services that are patrolling the road are constantly there, 24 hours.” he added

The Service Chiefs at the meeting included Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete IIbas, and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar.

Others at the meeting included the National Security Adviser, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno, Director General of National Intelligence Agency, the Director General, Department of Security Service and Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu.

Also at the meeting were the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau and the Minister of Defence, Brigadier Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali.

NAN