The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has declared that terrorism and banditry will end only when Nigerians decide.
Buratai addressed newsmen at the State House after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.
“As to whether banditry, terrorism and so on will end, I think it all depends. If Nigerians want it to end today, I can assure you it will end today if everybody joins hands because these bandits are not outside Nigeria, they are not from foreign lands,” he said.
Speaking further the COAS noted that 100 percent of kidnappers are Nigerians, stressing that it is not the duty of only the military and other security agencies to end the insecurity in the country.
Buratai argued said that 99 percent of the bandits and terrorists are Nigerians while 100 percent of kidnappers are also citizens of the country.
Recall that the Nigerian Army had earlier in the month said it does not reserve the duty to expose those sponsoring Boko Haram in the country.
The Army said it knows that some criminal groups have heavy financial backing, but its major task is to fight “terrorism and other criminality”.
It explained that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) were responsible for revealing the sponsors of terrorists.
PUNCH