President Muhammadu Buhari has called on security agencies and communities under threats of banditry and kidnappings to be more vigilant, in the light of the latest incidents in Enugu, Zamfara, Adamawa, Katsina and Kaduna states.
A statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Thursday, stated that Buhari was reacting to the recent reports of heightened acts of violence and kidnappings after a period of relative calm.
The president observed that “in view of the unpredictability of the security situation, our security forces and the communities affect- ed should be ever more alert, because these murderous and remorseless criminals will take advantage of your complacency and strike again.”
According to him, the bandits should, under no circumstance, be allowed to hold the country into ran- som on account of security loopholes, which they seek to exploit to attack their victims.
”The criminals always look for loopholes in our security system in order to remain in business and active, but we shouldn’t give them the space to achieve this diabolical objective by pre-empting them,” he said.
Buhari added that “complacency is a hidden or unnoticed enemy that we shouldn’t take for granted, because doing so could weaken our strategies.”
He, however, noted that the affected communities also have the responsibility to help the security agencies with the critically important human intelligence, in order to stop the bandits.
He said: ”The bandits maintain networks of informants among the communities they attack.
”By identifying and reporting these informants to the authorities, it will be by far easier to foil the bandits before they reach their intended targets.”
While commending the security agencies for their dedication and sacrifices, the president directed them to redouble their efforts and make life uncomfortable for the bandits.
“You should spare no effort in breaking the back- bone of these savage mass killers, and don’t hesitate to attack them with merciless intensity until they are crushed and ultimately de- feated,” he said.