Presidency reacts to video of Terrorists flogging train attack victims, threatening Buhari

The Presidency on Sunday said security forces are not helpless in stemming the tide of insecurity confronting the country.

In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, reacted to the recent video of terrorists flogging the victims of the March 28 attack on a Kaduna-bound train.

He knocked the terrorists for using what he described as propaganda to compel the government to yield to their demands.

“It suffices to say that the security forces are not relenting. They are acutely aware of their duties, responsibilities, and what the nation expects of them. Whenever they embark upon those actions, they expect that the public should provide them with the needed support,” Shehu said in a statement.

In a fresh video released, the terrorists threatened to kill the remaining victims in their captivity and sell some off, a situation that renewed calls for the Federal Government to come to their rescue.

They also threatened to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari as well as Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El- Rufai.

But Shehu said that the nation’s security forces are not helpless and will not display their tactics to the media.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Shehu said President Muhammadu Buhari has been supporting security agencies by boosting their morale and providing the needed equipment.

He added that, “The Presidency, in the meantime wishes to reassure the public that the President has done all, and even more than what is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate.”

See the full statement issued below:

Latest version of terror propaganda and military readiness

Terrorist activity using propaganda and the use of violence to force governments to accept or submit to political demands is not new all over the world.

The country’s security and defense forces are not clueless or helpless. They have their plans and ways of doing things that they will not display in the media.

The dilemmas in dealing with the specific case of train terrorists are manifold: punitive action like the popular call for carpet bombing of the known locations may assuage the desire of an angry public for revenge, but what about the hostages? They have committed no offense. All they did was board a train.

It suffices to say that the security forces are not relenting. They are acutely aware of their duties, responsibilities and what the nation expects of them. Whenever they embark upon those actions, they expect that the public should provide them with the needed support.

Terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought by all actors- the military, the civilian population and the communication service providers. This is the only way safe havens for terrorists are eliminated in every part of the world.

To help the nation against the ongoing situation, the media must increase their support for the fight against the exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes.

The Presidency, in the meantime, wishes to reassure the public that the President has done all, and even more than what is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief by way of morale, material, and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 24, 2022.  (Courtesy, excluding headline, Channels TV)