Don’t Spare Any Bandit, Identify, Eliminate, Buhari Directs Military

* Money saved from food importation will be used to purchase
arms for operations

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday in Katsina charged the
military to eliminate bandits terrorising the country and promptly
restore peace to all states troubled by criminals “that have been
killing, maiming and extorting innocent citizens.” Presidential
spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the president
gave the charge while addressing 15 officers and 160 soldiers of
the 17th Army Brigade and Nigerian Air Force 213 Operational Base
in Katsina, under the “Operation Hadarin Daji,” at the Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua Airport.

The statement said the president promised to channel money saved
from drops in food imports occasioned by successes in his
government’s agricultural development programme into arms
procurement for antiterrorism operations.

Buhari reminded the officers that their fundamental
responsibility was to secure the country by relentlessly going
after the criminals and eradicating them, pointing out that Nigeria
deserves peace.

The president was quoted as saying, “This group was formed by
the military to secure the geo-political zone from the activities
of bandits. Fundamentally, it is your responsibility to secure the
country.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I believe you
are capable of doing it. I don’t think you should spare any bandit.
Identify and eliminate them. Pursue them anywhere you can find them
and eliminate them.

“Nigeria deserves peace. The rainy season is good and we are
already achieving food security, but we need peace. The money saved
from food importation will be used to purchase arms for
operations.”

The statement said the president, who was flanked by Katsina
State Governor Aminu Masari, assured the troops that the federal
government would provide the necessary support for the restoration
of peace in the country.

“We will give you all the right equipment so that you can deal
with them with dispatch. I appreciate all your efforts but you can
do more. I don’t want any bandit spared,” he was quoted as
saying.

The statement also said Buhari told the troops that the
government and its personnel were being sustained in office by the
ordinary people, insisting that they owe the people a duty to
protect their lives and property. It further said Buhari charged
the officers to quickly overrun the criminals so that they could
re-unite with their families.

“Please, give my regards to your families. The earlier you
finish with the bandits, the earlier you will return and stay with
your families,” Buhari said.

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