President Bola Tinubu has vowed to clamp down on non-state actors, describing the recent killing of five soldiers in Abia State as a “treasonable offence” which must not be tolerated.
“I want to make it clear that the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the armed forces have the capacity to crush violent non-state actors, making our communities unsafe,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Gunmen had stormed a military unit at Obikabia Junction, Ogbor Hill area of Aba, Abia State, and killed five soldiers and six civilians blamed on suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
They also burnt the unit as well as a patrol van parked in the area. Some soldiers were alleged to have escaped the attack by the gunmen.
Lamenting about the incident, Tinubu said it was “disheartening” especially after a similar one happened in Okuama, Delta State.
‘Unwarranted, Barbaric’
“These unwarranted, barbaric and evil acts stand condemned and should never be condoned and tolerated in our country,” President Tinubu said.
“Our soldiers and the police have the onerous duty to protect all of us from aggressors and non-state actors. Hundreds of them have paid the ultimate price in fulfilment of their duty, while some have experienced the indignity of being manhandled by the people they protect.
“They surely do not deserve the mindless attacks by unruly elements in our society. The federal government will come down heavily against those who have made it a habit to needlessly attack the officers and men of our armed forces. On no account should anyone, under any guise, have the audacity to kill agents of state.”
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He urged security agencies to not only “fish out the masterminds and perpetrators of the Aba attack, but also those calling on people to stay at home. Their action is nothing but a treasonable offence.
“The fact that the security forces are exercising necessary restraints should not be mistaken for weakness.”
Don’t Be ‘Discouraged’
President Tinubu also sent his condolences to the families of the victims, their colleagues, and the leadership of the armed forces.
“While my condolences go to the families of the five slain soldiers, their colleagues, and the leadership of our armed forces, I urge other men and women on peacekeeping duty not to be discouraged by the unfortunate incident in Aba,” he said.
