By ALI BABA INUWA
ABUJA- The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has hailed the military authorities for going a step further in the ongoing war against terrorism by declaring 19 top bandits/terrorists wanted and placing a N5million bounty on each of them.
The group said in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke that all the terrorists declared wanted were notorious for terrorizing Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger States in recent years.
“It is indeed heartwarming that leaders of bandits that are known to have carried out audacious abductions and attacks on villages in parts of North West Nigeria have for some time now been feeling the heat of the ground and air assaults by troops on their camps.
“This was after several months of operating what looked like serfdoms and boasts that they were untouchable even after State governments had offered them a chance to hand in their weapons and embrace peace.
“Some of those declared wanted, especially Bello Turji were lucky to have escaped recent precision attacks on their hideouts and even declared war against the military
“But with the decision by Defence Headquarters to place bounties on the heads of the terrorist leaders, it is obvious that the military would not back down on the offensive against the criminal elements.
“We see this as a reflection of the zero tolerance of the Buhari administration to terrorism as well as an affirmation of the readiness of the military leadership to send a clear message to the terrorists.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the last time the military declared key terrorist leaders wanted was in 2016 when bounties were placed on 55 Boko Haram kingpins and afterward a number of them were killed in operations while many others were arrested,” the group added.
BMO also solicited for the cooperation of community leaders and other stakeholders in areas of the bandits’ activities.
“The military has been unwavering in its new approach to dealing with the terrorists but communities within those States where those criminal elements thrive also have a major role to play.
“We are however hopeful that the people who have been hardest hit by the activities of those criminals who have for several months denied them unhindered access to their farmlands, would provide useful information that will aid in ridding the society of these vermin.
“We are aware that some of the bandits declared wanted recently claimed to have made overtures to State governments, but we trust that the military would complete the ‘show no mercy’ task that President Muhammadu Buhari handed to them,” it said.
BMO assured that the President would not back down on his order to the military to take the battle to the doorsteps of terrorists and insurgents.(NAN)
