Insecurity: Bandits, kidnappers, others will face consequences of their actions — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has vowed to deal with non-state actors, including bandits, kidnappers and armed robbers, for inflicting pains on Nigerians, saying they will face consequences of their actions.

President Tinubu said this on Wednesday at a summit organised by Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movement, AYDM, a coalition of 130 pan-Yoruba-Itsekiri groups, held in Ikeja, Lagos.

He noted that the role of some non-state actors in Nigeria’s political ecosystem had been both negative and positive.

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The president, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on Media Matters, Mr Tunde Rahman, warned that non-state actors who had subjected Nigerians to hardship, misery, among others should be strongly condemned, adding that “they do not represent us and should be exterminated.”

Tinubu, who spoke on the summit’s theme ‘Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria: The Role of Non-State Actors,’ said: “Non-state actors who have subjected our people to hardship and misery, who have killed, wounded and held our people hostage because they wield lethal weapons, should be strongly condemned.

“Those who use force of arms to perpetrate evil and cause mayhem should be made to face the consequences of their actions. I’m talking here of bandits, kidnappers, militia groups, armed robbers and other criminals who daily terrorise our people.

“They do not represent us and should be exterminated. However, some non-state actors are doing the positive, though some have criticised them for doing what otherwise should be the exclusive responsibility of our security agents if they are to live up to their billing.

“I’m referring to those who protect our pipelines from attack and vandalism, which we must at least acknowledge for making a positive contribution to the country. Those are the two divides and ways I perceive the non-state actors in our society.”

Speaking on ‘Economic Realities, Democratic Dividends and Public Expectations: The Challenges and Prospects’, the president admitted that Nigerians were facing economic challenge but assured that things were gradually improving.

He said: “Let me assure you that things are gradually improving. The statistics show this. Our economic indicators are strong. As you may have noticed from the inflation figure I quoted earlier, inflation is coming down. Significantly, the Central Bank of Nigeria has also restored stability to the financial sector.”

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Mr Adewale Adeoye, said the summit was coming at a time when the country was facing a difficult and unpredictable future.

Adeoye said: “Supporting democracy is not about those in power, but about the right of the people to choose, question and democratically engage their leaders.

“I am aware the process of even choosing the right leaders by the people in Nigeria flawed, nevertheless, it does not in any way justify the call for military intervention in Nigeria.”