President Muhammadu Buhari, has on Tuesday, praised the Security Agencies in the country, over the operations that led to the re-arrest of the Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, as well as the arrest of some Allies of Yoruba Nation Agitator, Sunday Igboho,
President Buhari commended the Security Agencies for their collaboration in arresting the individuals who had inflicted pain and hardships on other citizens.
This was made known in a statement to Newsmen by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
In the statement, the President noted that Kanu and other IPOB Leaders are known for murderous actions and virulent messaging.
He confirmed that the “international operation” against Kanu, resulted in his handover to the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, and then repatriation.
The Presidential Spokesperson said that the violence inspired by IPOB has led to hundreds of fatalities, particularly targeted at government assets and Law Enforcement Agents.
He stated: “There have been at last count, fifty separate violent attacks, heavily concentrated in the South-East, which heaped further hardship on our honest and hardworking citizens, preventing them from earning their livelihood and going about their normal lives.”
He confirmed that the government had been monitoring the activities of IPOB, and had strong cause to believe that their funding sources include proceeds of suspected illicit criminal activities.
He also commended the raid of the residence of Igboho, “who has also been conducting acts of terror and disturbing the peace under the guise of protecting fellow kinsmen”.
Shehu added that his seditious utterances and antics, publicly expressed, have overtime morphed into very hateful and vile laden speeches.
“The Government respects fundamental rights of citizens to express their views, and recognises this as a democratic tenet.
“However, any attempt to build an armoury coupled with plans either subtle or expressed to undermine our unity as a nation, will not be condoned.
“Mr. President’s directives to Security Services regarding anyone seen to be carrying arms, particularly AK-47, are clear and require no further illumination.
“Assault weapons are not tools of peace loving people, and as such, regardless of who they are and where they are from, the Security Agencies should treat them all the same.”