President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that his administration remains unshaken in its decision to protect lives and properties in the country and as well ends the insurgency and banditry troubling the country.
Buhari said this during his speech in commemoration of the country’s Democracy Day celebration in Abuja on Friday.
He reiterated that his administration is committed to protect on-shore and off-shore oil installations, secure our territorial waters and ends piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
He emphasized that ending the insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the country is being given the right priorities as members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have to an extent downgraded such threats across all geo-political zones.
The President laments the recent loss of lives and properties in the recent attacks by bandits and insurgents in Katsina and Borno states. He then called on states government to revamp their security architectures.
He said, “All the Local Governments that were taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.
“The total collapse of the economies of these areas, which constituted a threat to our food security, has also been reversed with the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.
“I regret recent sporadic incidents with the tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage of Covid-19 restrictions. Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice.
“I must implore state and local governments to revamp their intelligence assets so that the Security Agencies can nip in the bud any planned attacks in remote rural areas. I send my heartfelt condolences to all the relatives and communities affected.
“As part of the strengthening of our internal security architecture, the Ministry of Police Affairs was created.
“Amongst others, Government has expanded the National Command and Control Centre to nineteen states of the federation, resuscitated the National Public Security Communication System and commenced the implementation of the Community Policing Strategy.
“Government has similarly established a Nigerian Police Trust Fund as a public-private sector vehicle for alternative sources of funding security activities.
“To reduce security challenges through our external borders especially smuggling of oil products out of the country, the inflow of small arms and drugs into the country and equally protect our local manufacturers, we introduced operation ‘Ex-Swift Response’ closing our borders from August 20th, 2019, and have considerably succeeded in meeting its objectives as well as improving our national revenue.”
