How Buhari is tackling security challenges – Presidency

As Nigerians continue to grapple with multi-faceted security crises in different parts of the country, the Buhari administration has released measures being taken by the police and security forces to address the challenges.

Violent crimes, especially armed robbery, banditry and kidnapping, have taken heavy toll on the country in recent weeks as both the affluent and average citizens have been wantonly abducted for ransom in several states.

Specifically, armed bandits have held several states in the North-west to a standstill as armed robbery remains prevalent across the country over which President Muhammadu Buhari has been criticised for not handling the crises with the seriousness they deserves.

The president said the challenges were numerous and difficult to combat and blamed some community leaders for being complicit in the chaos. He, however, promised to do his best to  resolve the challenges.

In a statement Sunday, presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina listed efforts currently underway to address the crises, saying “the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is not leaving any stone unturned to restore sanity and calm”.

Adesina listed among others steps taken by the administration to include; Operation Puff Adder (Nigerian Police), Operation Harbin Kunama 3 (Nigerian Army) and Exercise Egwu Eke 3 (Nigerian Army), which have all been launched in 2019, to complement the existing Operations Sharan Daji (launched in 2016 by the Nigerian Army) and Diran Mikiya (launched 2018 by the Nigerian Air Force).

He said: “All of these operations are focused on tackling banditry and criminality in the North-west of Nigeria, noting that, “Hundreds of kidnappers and bandits have been arrested or killed since January, several camps/hideouts destroyed; and hundreds of hostages rescued. In a two-week operation in February (lasting from Feb 4 to Feb 14), 80 hostages were freed by the Nigerian Army, with 37 bandits killed.”

Also, according to him, aerial bombardments of bandits’ camps have been intensified in recent months.” A new Air Force Base – the 271 Nigerian Air Force Detachment (271 NAF Det) – was commissioned at Birinin Gwari in Kaduna state in May 2019, to complement the 207 Quick Response Group (QRG) established in Gusau, Zamfara state, in 2017”.

He assured that it is the constitutional duty and responsibility of government to safeguard lives and properties, stressing that: “The Buhari administration remains committed to this, and despite recent spikes in the spate of crime and criminality, the evildoers will be beaten, and badly, too. The ravening clouds can never be victorious. Soon, they shall no longer possess the sky

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