(President Bola Tinubu. Photo by Punch News)
According to President Bola Tinubu, the government would use strategic measures to combat criminal groups throughout the nation and will not pay ransom to terrorists.
At the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu made this statement while welcoming the Olubadan of Ibadanland and members of the Olubadan-in-Council.
The President added that security issues have continued to require the government to reevaluate its plans and operations while praising the military for the successful rescue effort in Oyo State.
“Congratulations on the successful rescue of Oyo State. I concur that we should honor the men and women of the military services for their outstanding performance, and I believe we were successful thanks to your prayers and support.
“On behalf of them, I accept your message, and I will forward the same thing, the same message on,” Tinubu stated.
The President stated that each security crisis gave lessons for upgrading the country’s security architecture.
“As we emphasise the question of security, each event teaches us new methods, opens our eyes, challenges us to examine and re-examine our architecture, our strategy, our map and operations,” he said.
Tinubu stated that the government has taken a fresh approach to combating terrorism and kidnapping, emphasizing that ransom payments would not be part of the strategy.
“As you can see, we will provide them with geographical and numerical responses to the difficulties.
We refuse to pay ransom; we have the geography of the forest, we know what it is, and an answer to it,” the President stated.
He revealed that the Nigerian Army was being enlarged from eight to twelve divisions in order to increase response times and boost the war against terrorism.
“You’ve seen that we’re going from eight divisions to 12 divisions in order to minimize response times and give those response times the bite they require to destroy terrorism. “It is critical, and we are doing so,” Tinubu stated.
The President also declared that the Federal Government would set up state police to solve local security deficiencies.
“We have equally embarked on what was absent. Several decades of concerns and ambiguity about what to do about local security will be addressed.
“State police will exist. And, as state police, we have a guardrail against abuse; we will preserve it,” he said.
Tinubu asked traditional rulers to play a greater part in security measures, noting that forest guards were being bolstered to combat criminals hiding in forests.
He said, “And you traditional rulers, we have a bigger role to play. We are also improving the capacity and capability of forest guards.
“They will not only seek antelopes and animals; they will also pursue criminals and deal with them in various woodlands. It is critical that we inform you about this.”