In reaction to the viral video of terrorists flogging victims of the attacked Abuja-Kaduna train, the Federal Government of Nigeria, on Sunday, said the country’s security and defense forces are neither clueless nor helpless in fighting insecurity.

A trending video released by the terrorists on social media, shows the victims including women and children being brutalized. WATCH VIDEO HERE

Responding to the video amid criticism, Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, stated that the president has done more than enough to ensure that security forces tackle the menace.

He waved off calls to bomb the terrorist’s location, noting that innocent victims would be affected.

The statement read in part;

“Terrorist activity using propaganda and the use of violence to force governments to accept or submit to political demands is not new all over world.

“The country’s security and defence forces are not clueless or helpless. They have their plans and ways of doing things which they will not display in the media.

The dilemmas in dealing with the specific case of train terrorists are manifold: punitive action like the popular call for carpet bombing of the known locations may assuage the desire of an angry public for revenge, but what about the hostages? They have committed no offense. All they did was to board a train.

It suffices to say that the security forces are not relenting. They are acutely aware of their duties, responsibilities and what the nation expects of them. Whenever they embark upon those actions, they expect that the public should provide them with the needed support,

The Presidency, in the meantime, wishes to reassure the public that the President has done all, and even more than what is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief, by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate.