Insecurity: Chris Musa Talks Tough, Says FG ‘ll Treat Bandit Supporters As Terrorists 

By Rotela Oguns

Minister of Defence, Chris Musa, has vowed that the Federal Government will take tough measures in combating the challenge of insecurity confronting the country adding that henceforth anyone providing support or engaging in trade with bandits or terrorist groups will  be treated as an insurgent.

Musa spoke during a security  council meeting in Kaduna state, while reacting to the recent air strike by the military on Jilli market.

According to reports the bombing claimed the lives of over 100 civilians while many other got severely wounded.

The operation has attracted both commendation and condemnation from different quarters in the country.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development and the military’s strategy in tackling the ravaging insecurity in the country, the defence minister stated that henceforth every accomplice to crime will be seriously dealt with.

“A friend of a thief is a thief, I’ve said that severally, (sic)” Musa said.

“Anybody that is doing any trading, any support to them, we find you together with them, we’re going to deal with you like the bandits, like the terrorists.

“So people should know if you don’t want to be harmed, please avoid where those terrorists are and don’t give them any support.”

According to the military, the operation was a precision strike targeting a suspected terrorist enclave, logistics hub, and collaborators in the Jilli area of Gubio LGA.

It said the location had been identified as a movement corridor and convergence point for fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and their associates.

Recall that the  Yobe state government had said the strike was part of a military operation aimed at suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the area.

However, Amnesty International condemned the operation, alleging that about 100 non-combatants were killed during the bombing.