President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, said those who took laws into their hands, bore arms “illegally” and sought to profit from “a climate of fear and insecurity” would be “decisively dealt with”, charging the police to rise to the occasion.
The President said this in Wudil, Kano, at the Passing Out Parade of the Cadets of the fourth Regular Course of the Nigeria Police Academy.
Buhari, who said his administration would continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for crime and criminality, added that “That remains our promise to the people of Nigeria, who elected us to keep them safe and secured.
“The peace and stability of our dear country will continue to be of utmost importance. You the Police are our point men and you must rise to the occasion.”
The President underscored the need to develop a policy on cyber warfare with strategic focus on the prevention of cyber-attacks against critical national infrastructure, minimising national vulnerability to cyber-attacks and minimising damage and recovery time from cyber-attacks.
“Today’s landscape extends well beyond the land, sea, and air, into the vast territories of cyberspace. The internet and new digital technologies have provided a platform for the emerging offences to reach unprecedented levels.
“Many of the enemies you will confront will be permanently faceless or concealed, leveraging technology to wage warfare that has the potential to be even more destructive than anything the world has ever known,” he added.
Buhari noted the recent positive developments in the determination of his administration to provide security, build a sustainable economy and fight against corruption despite the challenges on ground.
He said: “This administration has also focused on security by repositioning our national security to perform their duties effectively. We have equally embarked on some crucial changes in their funding, structure, and modes of operation… In a world where insecurity is constantly evolving; law enforcement responses have to equally evolve not just to keep up but to stay ahead.”
The President said his administration signed into law the new Police Act to ensure an improvement in the welfare of service delivery to meet best international practices, adding that with the take-off of The Police Trust Fund, there has been an upgrade of infrastructure such as the construction of new barracks across the country, renovation of existing ones, construction of medical facilities, as well as procurement of modern operational vehicles.
He commended the efforts and resilience of members of the Nigeria Police Force and sister agencies for the giant strides recorded so far in the fight against the prevailing security challenges.
“The Boko Haram insurgency, the Independent People of Biafra, Eastern Security Network, and banditry in some parts of the country over time, which posed a potent threat to the country, have been significantly degraded and relative normalcy has returned to most towns and villages and more efforts are in place to ensure that normalcy returns all the areas suffering banditry.
“Across the North Central and North West of the country, we have made progress with regards to stemming the tide of communal violence, farmers-herdsmen clashes, cattle rustling, and kidnapping,” he also said.
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