President Muhammad Buhari said on Tuesday he has directed the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to relocate to Benue State in the bid to stop the incessant killing of innocent people in the state.
Buhari, who decried the spate of kidnapping for ransom, cultism and other violent crimes across the country, said his administration would bring perpetrators of the heinous crimes to justice.
He spoke at the 9th Assembly of National Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, tagged: “Community Policing as a Catalyst to Crime Prevention – The Role of Traditional Rulers.”
The President, who was represented by the Minister for Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, said the killers of innocent people in Benue and Taraba States as well as other violent crimes in parts of the country would not go unpunished.
He said: “We’re seriously heaving a sigh of relief over the degradation and dismounting of Boko Haram. But we are now witnessing increasing cases of kidnapping, cultism, ethnic militia activities and herdsmen/ farmers’ conflicts.
“I am saddened and very worried over the persistent killing and kidnapping across the country, especially the wastage of innocent lives in different parts of the country by whatever name it is sad and particularly condemnable. I have therefore directed that no efforts should be spared in identifying and bringing to justice all those who were involved in these killings.
“I have earlier directed the army to relocate to Borno State to ensure that the activities of Boko Haram is brought to an end, likewise, I have directed the Inspector General of Police to relocate to Benue State to ensure that the herdsmen incessant killings are not only contained but the culprits are brought to justice.
“These actions amount to declaration of war on our peaceful co-existence and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the Nigerian State and threaten her sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“As a responsible government, we will never tolerate or condone all trouble makers, criminals and killers. They should be ready to face the consequences of their acts. While the Federal Government is doing everything possible to tackle the root cause of violence and crime in Nigeria, we expect citizens to respect and obey the laws governing our society.”