Tobias Sylvester
President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the deadly attack by bandits at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Afaka, Kaduna State.
KanyiDaily had reported how bandits attacked the Defence Academy in the early hours of Tuesday, killing two officers and abducting one.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, Buhari said the NDA attack will not discourage the armed forces from pushing forward with their fight against banditry and criminality.
According to him, the attack will rather dampen the morale of the military to put an end to any form of criminality in the country.
Buhari commiserated with the families of the deceased while promising that the culprits will be apprehended and prosecuted. He further warned those “playing hateful politics with the dastardly act” to desist.
“The attack launched on the facility of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on Tuesday, rather than throw a dampener into the morale of our Armed Forces as it is intended to, will buoy their determination to make a decisive end of criminality in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said,” the statement reads.
“Noting that the attack, which led to loss of lives, came at a time that the military had put insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, and other types of criminals on the retreat, the President says the heinous action would accelerate the total uprooting of evil in the polity, which members of the Armed Forces are solidly resolved to accomplish in the shortest possible time.
“Commiserating with the families who lost their loved ones, and praying God to comfort them, President Buhari vowed that the deceased would not die in vain, as the degenerate act would have consequences that will eventually clean the country of vermin, and emancipate the polity from deliberate, targeted and contrived atrocious acts.
“The President thanks all Nigerians who value and appreciate the efforts of our military, and urges those playing hateful politics with the dastardly act to desist, noting that rather than recriminations, this is the time for all patriots and people of goodwill to support and encourage those who are in the vanguard of the battle against wickedness in the land.”
Meanwhile, the bandits have made contact with the NDA authorities to demand N200 million ransom for the release of Major Christopher Dantong who was abducted during the attack.
