President Bola Tinubu says his administration will designate kidnappers as terrorists, vowing to “get rid of them.”
Tinubu’s comments followed the recent spate of kidnappings in the country, especially the abduction of hundreds of school children in Kuriga, Kaduna state.
“We must treat kidnappers as terrorists…in order to get rid of them, and I promise you, we will get rid of them,’” Tinubu vowed on Tuesday at a Ramadan dinner at the State House, Abuja, with members of the Federal judiciary led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed this in a statement he signed late Tuesday titled ‘President Tinubu: We must treat kidnappers as terrorists.’
He condemned what he described as reprehensible acts perpetrated by kidnappers nationwide, declaring that those who resort to kidnapping children are cowards, incapable of confronting the might of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“We must treat kidnappers as terrorists. They are cowardly. They have been degraded. They look for soft targets.
“They go to schools and kidnap children and cause disaffection. We must treat them equally as terrorists in order to get rid of them, and I promise you we will get rid of them,” said Tinubu.
On the review of salaries of judicial officers, the President pledged that his administration would continue to implement necessary reforms to improve the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers.
“I recognise that the judiciary has one of the most unrewarded responsibilities. They are yet to modernise equipment and recordkeeping, and their progress towards improvement is slow.
“When you look at the career path of a judicial officer, they cannot practice the vocation for which they were trained after retirement.
“While the framers of the law may have their reasons, I perceive this differently and see this from a fair compensation angle that should benefit all,” the President stated.
Tinubu expressed gratitude to the judiciary for their dedicated service to the nation, acknowledging their role in upholding the respectability of the judicial arm of government.
“We will continue to support one another and bring Nigeria to that glorious dawn,” he concluded.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria commended the President for the honour of hosting judicial officers to a Ramadan dinner, his commitment to judicial reforms, and for improving the welfare of judicial officers in the country.
“May the Lord continue to bless you and your administration. Let your ship land and berth beautifully.
“We shall continue to pray for your administration because there are many good things in the pipeline for Nigerians,” Ariwoola prayed.
He also commended the administration for appointing a full complement of 21 justices to the Supreme Court, a feat he described as unprecedented.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, expressed gratitude to the President for forwarding the executive bill titled, “Judicial Office Holders, Salaries and Allowances, etc, Bill 2024” to the National Assembly.
Highlighting the stagnant state of judges’ salaries and emoluments since 2007, Fagbemi commended the President’s courage, determination, and compassion in taking decisive action.
“It takes a man with a great heart, determination, and consideration to do what the President did. More than 300.3 percent increase has been given to the judges.
“The President has done his own part, never mind that the bill is still with the National Assembly.
”In my short stay as the Attorney-General, I have come to observe that anything that concerns the judiciary, you are very much interested in it, and I thank you for your abiding interest in the judiciary,” the Minister of Justice said.
The dinner was attended by serving and retired judicial officers, including two former CJNs, Justices Mahmud Mohammed and Walter Onnoghen.
