President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria has warned that his administration would not tolerate any activity that promotes criminality or unrest in the country.
He was reacting to a growing wave of attacks, particularly on government facilities, in the country’s south-eastern region.
He said in a series of Tweets:
“I receive daily security reports on the attacks on critical national infrastructure, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail”.
“Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We’ve given them enough time.”
He urged the heads of security services to rise to the country’s problems.
“There must be zero tolerance for all those those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection.”
His remarks came following a briefing by the head of Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, whose offices in areas of the country’s south-east were set on fire by unknown arsonists.
Police stations have also been attacked, with many officers murdered in assaults blamed on gunmen.
Separatist movements in the area have been advocating for the establishment of a breakaway state. Similar demands resulted in a civil war between 1967 and 1970 that claimed over three million lives.
The president, who is a veteran of the Biafra war, concluded by saying:
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian civil war.”
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
