The Federal Government has pledged to handle those launching deadly attacks on the country’s security employees with overwhelming force.
He explained the expanding harmful tendency was a declaration of war against the nation which could be resisted by force.
“Soldiers, as well as the police, customs and other security agents, are murdered and maimed in some areas of the country in this developing trend of targeting security forces.
“I need to say unequivocally, that any attack on the security men and girls is an assault on the country and also a declaration of war against the country.
“When people whose responsibility it is to shield us ‘ are being subjected to mindless attacks, it may only be for one reason only: To instil fear and evoke a feeling of pervasive insecurity among the people.
“Whether unknown gunmen, those engaging in this dastardly act will pay dearly for their activities.”
Mohammed said the security challenges facing the country were systemic.
He said in addition to kinetic efforts, the government was embarking on various non-kinetic steps to effectively handle the challenges.
He said the meeting also solved on state police, expansion, retraining of military, security and police agencies as well as supplying them with modern equipment.
The meeting also resolved on Local Government autonomy as well as the constitutional role of preserving peace and safety for traditional rulers within their domain.
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He said it was also advised the ranches, grazing reservations must be established with modern amenities to inspect the trans-humans of the herders and farmers-herdsmen clashes.
The ministry said resolutions from the town hall meeting was taken to the National Economic Council for concerns.
The Minister also used the occasion to clarify his statement on the problem of insecurity since it relates to the regime of Gen. Murtala Mohammed, according to him, media report that he blamed the regime of Gen. Murtala Mohammed for the spate of insecurity in Nigeria continues to be”fake news and disinformation”.
Mohammed, who voiced dismay over the reports clarified on which he said when he featured on a News programme.
“It’s amazing at times how people interpret ones’ remarks and perspectives in a very negative sense.
“What happened was that the lead speaker at a Town Hall Meeting we held in Kaduna recently, made reference to this escape by the former military Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, following the civil war.”
“He said that in the close of the retreat, there was consensus that children born after the civil war must be supplied compulsory and free main education.
“I just elaborated on this advice and stated that if subsequent governments after Gen. Gowon had perfected this assurance, the bandits and kidnappers now will not have any market to recruit their followers.
“I said we have about 13 million out of school children and if the successive government had taken the decision in the Gowon’s retreat seriously, we are not going to be where we are now.
“There was nowhere I blamed Gen. Murtala Mohammed, but we are in the age of disinformation and bogus news,” he said.
The minister said he was likewise misunderstood on his position that kidnapping and banditry were not offences that could be penalized by the Federal Government.
He said while his position was correct, it wasn’t meant to absorb the national government from the duty of fighting offences as it was misinterpreted by some people.
“I was reacting to the opposition PDP which said that the Federal Government has not prosecuted any bandits or kidnappers.
“I said it is not the obligation of the national government to prosecute bandits or kidnappers.
“The obligation of the national government would be to down them, arrest them and hand them over to the judiciary of the state to violate.
“People who were arrested will be passed over into the Zamfara state authorities for prosecution,” he explained.
The minister reiterated that there were several laws that were in the exclusive execution by the federal and state level respectively.
“As of now and until we amend the legislation, the federal government cannot prosecute suspected kidnappers and bandits.
“That was why the notorious kidnap kingpin, Chikwudubem Onwuamadike, also referred to as Evans has been prosecuted in the Lagos state courtroom and not in Abuja,” he said.
The minister said Nigerians must be concerned about the spate and ramifications of bogus information and disinformation.
