From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya has declared that many bandits and other criminals undermining national security ‘have been sent to God to go and answer for their crimes.’
The COAS reassured that the Army will continue to give its best to ensure that current security challenges troubling some parts of the country are fully addressed.
The Army Chief made the remarks Wednesday while speaking to State House Correspondents shortly after he was decorated with his new rank by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Related: Buhari decorates new COAS with Lieutenant General rank
He further declared that successes were already being recorded, adding that the military would leverage on it and its experience.
Gen Yahaya, who pledged his unalloyed loyalty to President Buhari and the country, stated: ‘I want to most sincerely appreciate the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces for the confidence reposed in me and now being decorated Lieutenant General and Chief of Army Staff.
‘I want to pledge my unalloyed loyalty on behalf of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army. We would also continue to do our very best to arrest the current insecurity, which includes insurgency and other violent crimes.
‘We are already getting successes and we will leverage on that including our experience in this job and by the grace of God we will get there.’
Also speaking, Minister of Defence Major General Bashir Magashi (retd) said the new Army Chief had since started his job very well.
‘I think like every other Chief his mandate is to bring to an end to banditry, kidnapping and the Boko Haram issue, and right from his assumption to date, there is a lot of improvement in the way we have been fighting this war.
‘The planning is thorough and the activities are going according to operational plans and I am sure with that kind of arrangement, we will get out of the insurgency problem,’ the minister said.
Gen Magashi said all those perpetrating insecurity across the country would be brought to book, adding that those picking arms against security personnel would also be punished.
‘If you commit an offence, you will be arrested, tried and if you are guilty you will be punished. But for anybody picking arms against a soldier, you know what that means and we will also treat him according to the law,’ he said.
Clarifying the president’s controversial comment that criminals would be treated in the language they understand, the Defence Minister said: ‘I don’t think there is anything wrong to get rid of an enemy if he also wants to get rid of you, and that is what the president is saying you cannot own a weapon illegally and be allowed to stay alive because that weapon can be used against you.
‘We will take on anybody who is carrying arms. Nigeria will not allow that to continue to happen. That is our message,’ the minister warned.