Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, has warned that his government will not tolerate any action that promotes crime and insurrection in the country.
He was responding to the rising wave of attacks, especially on government facilities, in the south-eastern part of the country.
In series of Tweets, he said:
I received a briefing today from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the series of attacks on their facilities nationwide. These attacks are totally unacceptable, and we will not allow those behind them to achieve their evil objectives.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 1, 2021
I receive daily security reports on the attacks on critical national infrastructure, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We’ve given them enough time.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 1, 2021
He asked the head of security agencies to rise to the challenges confronting the country.
His statement followed a briefing by the head of Nigeria’s electoral body, Inec, whose offices in parts of the south-east were burnt down by unknown arsonists.
Police stations have also been targeted, with many policemen killed in attacks blamed on gunmen.
In the area of security, we have changed the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General, and we are demanding that they rise fully to the challenges confronting us. There must be zero tolerance for all those those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection!
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 1, 2021
Separatist groups in the region have been agitating for a breakaway state. Similar demands led to a civil war between 1967 and 1970 in which more than three million people were killed.
The president, who is a Biafra war veteran, ended by saying:
Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.
— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 1, 2021