The Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed sadness and frustration over the recent train attack by Bandits.
El-Rufai disclosed to Punch that the Nigerian Military knows the locations of the bandits but has refused to bomb their hideouts.
The governor said, “We have enough intelligence for us to take action. The Air Force undertakes enough ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance); and the DSS has informants all over the place.
“We know what they (terrorists) are planning. We get the reports. The problem is for the agencies to take action. Don’t wait until they attack before you respond. The Army should go after their enclaves to wipe them out. Let the Air Force bomb them.
“Before, they were categorised as bandits and if you bombed them, you would have issues with human rights organisations and international criminal courts and so on. But, now that they have been declared terrorists by the court, they can be legally killed without any consequences from international human rights organisations.”
He disclosed that Kaduna is currently in a ‘State of War’.
“We know where their camps are, we know where they are; the SSS have their phone numbers, they listen to them, and they give me the report. We know what they are planning. We shouldn’t be waiting for them to attack; why can’t we go after them?”.
The deadly train attack occurred on Monday, March 28, 2022, leading to several deaths and abductions. The development has been condemned widely with many Nigerians calling for improved security response.