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President Muhammadu Buhari says he has given the military and police a marching order to be ruthless on bandits in the North-west and North-central zones of the country.
The President stated this in an interview on Arise TV, aired on Thursday morning.
The President’s comment comes amid the rise in the activities of bandits in the two regions.
Thousands of persons, including students, have been kidnapped for ransom in different states across the two zones.
These have made many farmers desert their farms while some others negotiate with the bandits to go to their farms.
In the interview, Buhari said Nigerians will see the difference in the activities of the security agents.
He said the country cannot afford famine that could arise if the activities of the bandits are not checked.
“People of the same culture killing each other, stealing each other’s cattle, as I said, we are going to treat them in a language they understand.
“We are going to give the police and the military power to be ruthless and you watch it, in a few weeks time, they will be different,” Buhari said.
Speaking on the Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria, the President said terrorism is largely fuelled by youth unemployment and poverty.
Buhari said he believes his government has done a lot to fight the terrorism but the problem in the “North-East is very difficulty.”
He said he believes the majority of Boko Haram members are Nigerians after being told so by the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum.