The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, said yesterday that the official declaration of bandits as terrorists will enable the armed forces take necessary action against them.
He said the gazette proscribing bandits as terrorists was long desired by the armed forces.
Irabor, who spoke when he featured on ‘Good Morning Nigeria’, a Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, programme, said the military would amend its tactics, given the latest development, adding that the criminals would be given “the bloody nose they so desire”.
He said: “The issue of gazetting the bandits as terrorists is a news that is quite gladdening. That has always been what we had desired.
“What it means is that our tactics, techniques and procedures that we used in handling them certainly would have to change and that is why, I believe going forward, I am sure you will be reading what the outcome of those engagements are.
“Gazetting them as terrorists gives it a global disposition that will enable other key global actors to now take certain action against them.
‘’For me, it will only get better and we will give them the bloody nose that they so desire.”
The Federal Government had on January 5 released a gazette proscribing bandits as terrorists.
Government’s action, however, came over a month after a federal high court in Abuja declared the activities of all bandit groups in the country as acts of terrorism.
