Victor EzejaWhen the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media & publicity, Malam Garba Shehu issued a statement on Sunday announcing that the president has set the ball rolling by ordering a big military operation in Niger State to decisively flush out bandits and other dreaded groups responsible for the heavy insecurity ravaging the state, there were mixed reactions from Nigerians over the presidential pronouncement.
While some hailed the president for making moves in tackling insecurity in the Northwest state, others opposed him for making the pronouncement in the media.
Checks on Shehu’s Twitter handle @GarShehu on Sunday night revealed avalanche of comments from Nigerians in response to the statement posted on his wall.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelShehu as a media aide to the president apparently did that to inform Nigerians of the steps being taken by the master to tackle the challenge of insecurity, but many saw it as a wrong action as far security strategy is concerned.
Some said it was wrong for the president to openly state in the media, the military action he wants to take against the terrorists as the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, arguing that such is preposterous and only amounts to informing the criminals perpetrating the acts to either retreat to avoid being apprehended or crushed when the military officers begin operations or restrategise and unleash more mayhem on innocent citizens and residents of the state.
READ ALSO: Insecurity: Buhari Orders Major Military Operation In Niger
Some even queried why the president has not been able to tackle the security crisis to a decisive end seven years after promising to end banditry and terrorism in the country.
@Olatunji wrote, “does he need to announce it, swing into action and save life of innocent Nigerians clamouring for help.”
Another Twitter user, @AbdulGaniyyi queried the essence of the information saying, “What is the purpose of this press release? Big military operation- so that the criminals can prepare or change base? Or to show the government is working when it isn’t?”
Similarly, @Etulu tweeted, “you are indirectly telling bandits to prepare. What a poor strategy.”
@AbdulmalikSulaimanDuke said, “I don’t think this information is necessary Mal. Garba! You are basically alerting the criminals to run or hide…we will appreciate the results after the operation has commenced or in progress!!”
@GbengaAlifatai said, “Why the announcement sir, this should be a top secret.”
@aalukis, said, “It would have been best if the operation happened without this publicity though.”
@Emmalincoln wrote, “With all due respect sir, we want results not talk.”
@Bolatconcept compared the situation to that of a teacher who sets examination questions for his students but does not let them know the content of the question until they sit for the exam to avoid compromising the integrity of the test. “Let the military carry out their operations without publicity,” the user tweeted.
@Neilvlog, reminding the government about the essence, of military convert operations wrote “we are used to declare so that they will run.”
“No convert operations again in Nigeria? “What we need in Nigeria is result not announcement,” the user added.
One other Twitter user, @Alhassansule1 asked why the president ordered military operation only in Niger State when there were other states in the Northwest under heavy attacks by terrorist gangs, saying “What about Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and parts of Kaduna State?”
Some alleged that the military currently appears not to have any clear strategy of dealing with the bandits in the affected areas, saying there won’t be any positive result of defeating the bandits at the end of the operation.
Apart from Niger, other states in the Northwest geo-political zone like Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, have been under heavy attack by bandits who kill, kidnap and demand for ransom and also destroy properties in the affected states.
The president recently declared them as terrorists which many considered as a belated action as the criminals have long been striking heavily in the region.
Recently, the bandits reportedly killed over 200 innocent residents of Zamfara State why fleeing from a military operations in villages like Rafin Danya, Barayar Zaki, Rafin Gero and Kurfa.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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