President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed a tougher crackdown on insecurity, announcing that his administration is acquiring advanced weapons to track and “smash” criminal elements following deadly attacks in Plateau and Kaduna States.
The strong statement, delivered in a release on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, comes after fresh violence in Angwan Rukuba in Jos, Plateau State, and Kahir community in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where bandits reportedly killed residents and abducted others, including wedding guests.
Tinubu condemned the attacks in harsh terms, describing the perpetrators as ruthless actors deliberately targeting vulnerable communities to incite chaos and reprisals.
“Anyone who will sneak under the cover of the night and kill defenceless citizens as done in Jos and Kahir village, is a heartless coward. By attacking soft targets in Jos, their objective is not only to cause harm but also trigger a spiral of reprisal attacks and further bloodletting,” he said.
Reaffirming his administration’s resolve, the President insisted that the killers would not go unpunished, while assuring affected families and state governments of federal support in restoring peace.
“I commiserate with the families of those killed and pray for the quick recovery of the injured. Our government is currently acquiring more sophisticated equipment to enable our security agencies to track and smash criminals, in real time, wherever they are.”
He ordered security agencies to intensify operations, pursue the perpetrators, and clamp down on individuals spreading misinformation capable of worsening tensions across affected areas.
Tinubu also warned against narratives framing the attacks as religiously motivated, urging restraint and responsible reporting by sections of the media.
Emphasising the need for public cooperation, he called on communities to adhere to evacuation and safety directives where necessary, noting that security agencies are actively working to contain the situation.
He further directed operatives to act on early warning intelligence to prevent future attacks and demanded the immediate rescue of all remaining abductees in Kahir village.
“I urge our security agencies to be more proactive in preventing these attacks by acting on early warning intelligence. All the remaining abductees from Kahir village must be rescued immediately”, the President said.
“I commend Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for his efforts in containing the situation in Jos and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for supporting the rescue and containment efforts.”
