- Urges security forces to redouble efforts
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday condemned the latest massacre of 15 people in Goronyo and Illela Local Government Areas of Sokoto, warning that “this needless and mindless violence against innocent people cannot go unpunished.”
Reacting to the incident from South Africa through his Spokesperson, Garba Shehu, President Buhari warned that: “This persistent and unprovoked violence against unarmed civilians must be met with fierce response by the government.
“Let me once again, reassure Nigerians, that this administration will not abandon them to their fate in the face of this existential challenge caused by banditry.”
According to the President, “we are taking delivery of military equipment to improve the capacity of our security forces to effectively deal with this issue.
“Our military is also deploying advanced technology to enhance surveillance and related operations to locate and crush these criminals and enemies of our common humanity.
“This administration will not tolerate this state of affairs where criminals deprive the people of their means of livelihoods and turn them into beggars and refugees. The bandits are living in a fool’s paradise if they believe that they can’t be crushed. The criminals cannot be lucky always; they will ultimately meet their Waterloo. Evil cannot triumph over good no matter how long it takes.”
Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, had on Monday confirmed the massacre of the 15 people, saying just before he presented the 2022 Sokoto State appropriation bill to the State House of Assembly that three people lost their lives in Goronyo while 12 people were killed in Illela.
He stated that the attacks occurred between Sunday night and Monday morning.
Goronyo and Illela are two of the LGAs where telecommunications networks have been shut down.
The State government also banned weekly markets as part of the measures to curtail the activities of bandits who are terrorising the State.