President Muhammadu Buhari has called on state governments to review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles, warning that the policy might boomerang disastrously.
President Buhari stated this on Friday via his Twitter handle, asking state and local government to beef up security around schools.
“State Governments must review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles. Such a policy has the potential to backfire with disastrous consequences,” he said.
“States and Local Governments must also play their part by being proactive in improving security in & around schools.”
The President, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also sent out a strong warning to bandits and their sponsors, noting that his administration would not succumb to the bandits’ blackmail.
“This administration will not succumb to blackmail by bandits who target innocent school students in the expectations of huge ransom payments,” Buhari was quoted as saying.
“No criminal group can be too strong to be defeated by the government,” adding that, “the only thing standing between our security forces and the bandits are the rules of engagement.”
“We have the capacity to deploy massive force against the bandits in the villages where they operate, but our limitation is the fear of heavy casualties of innocent villagers and hostages who might be used as human shields by the bandits. Our primary objective is to get the hostages safe, alive and unharmed.”
Buhari’s reaction comes hours after gunmen abducted over 300 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Zamfara State.
He condemned the abduction, describing the kidnapping as inhumane and totally unacceptable.
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