President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the security chiefs to identify the leaders of the bandits and kidnappers, take them out and crushed them alongside their local collaborators.
The president gave the marching order when he met the security chiefs at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday during the security council meeting.
He said there is need to restore confidence in the areas affected and the society at large.
The National Security Adviser, Babagana Munguno who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the security meeting said the President has made it clear that the criminals would no longer dictate the tone.
Monguno said the president warned that his administration would not accept a situation where the security agencies are reactive rather than being proactive in the fight against insurgents, bandits and other criminal elements.
“On issues of kidnapping and banditry – these menaces still persist especially in the North West and the North Central zones.
”Mr President has stated very clearly that this problem must be brought to an end but using the traditional means that the armed forces have been trained to deploy.
”Mr President has made it very clear to both the intelligence and operational elements that their first assignment will be to identify the leaders of these bandits and kidnappers and take them out in order to restore confidence in those areas.
”Mr President has said that he will no longer tolerate a situation where bandits and kidnappers are the ones dictating the pace and setting the tones and he will not also condone a situation in which our own operations are reaction rather than being proactive,’’ he said.
The NSA also revealed that the president directed the service chiefs, the intelligence community as well as the constabulary forces to target those agents of disunity across the country.
He said such people had been creating chaos, disunity and disharmony among peace-loving citizens.
This is the directive from the President, I am to send a warning to those people who think they’re in close proximity with those who have the instruments to make the space easy for criminals, those people who think they have some kind of authority, who are engaging in all kinds of Hocus Pocus in all kinds of jiggery pokery or skulduggery.
“These people will be brought down to their knees.’’
Also, the Service Chiefs at the security meeting disclosed that they have identified weak areas that would be strengthened to appropriately fish out collaborators with non-state actors.
