By Adeleye Kunle
The presidency said on Sunday that President Muhammadu Buhari had done everything in his power to save the abducted Kaduna train passengers, adding that the efforts could be bolstered if the media stopped amplifying materials from the abductors, TrackNews reports.
“The President has done everything and even more than is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief in terms of morale, materiel, and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate,” the White House said in a statement late Sunday night. “In order to assist the nation in dealing with the current situation, the media must increase their support for the fight against the use of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes.”
The statement came just hours after a video of dozens of kidnapped victims being brutalized by armed bandits dominated media coverage. In the video, the victims begged the Buhari regime and foreign governments for immediate assistance in their rescue four months after their kidnapping along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Some of the victims were freed after paying a high price, with some paying as much as $400,000 each to be rescued.
The Buhari administration has insisted that it is doing everything in its power to free the victims, claiming that the situation has become more complicated than most Nigerians realize.
Garba Shehu released the following statement on behalf of the presidency: Terrorist activity that employs propaganda and violence to compel governments to accept or submit to political demands is nothing new around the world.
The country’s security and defense forces are not in the dark or powerless. They have plans and methods of operation that they will not reveal to the public.
The dilemmas in dealing with the specific case of train terrorists are numerous: punitive action, such as the popular call for carpet bombing of known locations, may satisfy an angry public’s desire for vengeance, but what about the hostages? They have done nothing wrong. They only did one thing: board a train.
It goes without saying that the security forces will not back down. They are well aware of their duties and responsibilities, as well as what the country expects of them. They expect the public to provide them with the necessary support whenever they undertake such actions.
Terrorism is a global scourge that must be combated by all actors, including the military, civilians, and communication service providers. This is the only way to eliminate terrorist safe havens around the world.
To assist the nation in dealing with the current situation, the media must increase its support for the fight against the use of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes.
Meanwhile, the Presidency wishes to reassure the public that the President has done everything expected of him as Commander-in-Chief in terms of morale, materiel, and equipment support to the military, and that he expects nothing less than good results in the near future.
