TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the military to respond fiercely to the abductions and killings by gunmen in Niger state.

Gunmen have been abducting and killing residents in the north-central state.

According to a statement by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, Buhari gave the order to the defence headquarters a few days ago.

“President Muhammadu Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s armed forces has set the ball rolling for a major military operation in Niger State which has faced continued attacks on its communities by bandits and remnants of Boko Haram terrorists fleeing theatres of war in the Northwestern and Northeastern parts of the country,” the statement reads.

“In a directive to the Defence Headquarters a few days ago, the President asked the military to respond robustly to the cases of killings and kidnappings in the State and to give effect to the strategic objectives through the use of force.

“The President reiterated that security is a responsibility of every member of the community and only through solidarity and cooperation with law enforcement agencies can we defeat the problems finally.”

Buhari commiserated with the government and people of Niger over the recent attacks in the state.

The commander-in-chief said, “The Federal Government is willing to strengthen support and cooperation with all the states. I believe that with the full cooperation of the citizens, we will surely overcome this problem.”