By Editor
On Wednesday afternoon, the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari declared in a statement released 36 hours after the dastardly terrorist attack on the facility of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), that the determination of the Armed Forces to make a decisive end of criminality in the country would be buoyed by it rather than throw a dampener into their morale.
The statement, which was issued by the State House press secretary, Mallam Garba Shehu, sounded more like the real dampener itself, as it not only came late, but make a light of the national tragedy when it generalized a terrorist attack on a major military formation by a belligerent force as “criminality in the country” and failed to acknowledge the strategic significance of such.
According to Section 1(3)(c) of the TERRORISM Prevention Act 2011 (as amended), any act “done with malice, aforethought and which” leads to “serious bodily harm or death” or “kidnapping of a person” is an “ACT OF TERRORISM”.
That audacious attack on Nigeria’s elite defence institution is Terrorism and the delayed remark by the Commander-in-Chief which failed to acknowledge that is a bigger dampener on the morale of troops in the frontline of the War on Terror.
Yes, Terrorism that struck at the core of the country’s national security. Terrorists struck a major military formation; killed soldiers and kidnapped some. That is an indescribable crime against the Nigerian State, not just any crime. And the nation needs answers.
Please, read the President’s unfortunate and sad statement for your own assessment.
“The attack launched on the facility of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on Tuesday, rather than throw a dampener into the morale of our Armed Forces as it is intended to, will buoy their determination to make a decisive end of criminality in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
“Noting that the attack, which led to loss of lives, came at a time that the military had put insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, and other types of criminals on the retreat, the President says the heinous action would accelerate the total uprooting of evil in the polity, which members of the Armed Forces are solidly resolved to accomplish in the shortest possible time.
“Commiserating with the families who lost their loved ones, and praying God to comfort them, President Buhari vowed that the deceased would not die in vain, as the degenerate act would have consequences that will eventually clean the country of vermin, and emancipate the polity from deliberate, targeted and contrived atrocious acts.
“The President thanks all Nigerians who value and appreciate the efforts of our military, and urges those playing hateful politics with the dastardly act to desist, noting that rather than recriminations, this is the time for all patriots and people of goodwill to support and encourage those who are in the vanguard of the battle against wickedness in the land.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.