Tinubu to Justices: Kidnappers are cowards, we must treat them as terrorists

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the reprehensible acts perpetrated by kidnappers across the country, declaring that individuals involved in such despicable crimes must be treated as terrorists.

Tinubu made the declaration at a Ramadan dinner with members of the federal judiciary led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

Reiterating the government’s resolve to defeat banditry, the president said those who resort to kidnapping children are cowards, incapable of confronting the might of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Tinubu said: “We must treat kidnappers as terrorists. They are cowards. They have been degraded. They look for soft targets. They go to schools, 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.”

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On the review of salaries of judicial officers, President Tinubu pledged that his administration would continue to implement necessary reforms to improve the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers.

Tinubu added: “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.”

He further 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,” Tinubu stressed.

On his part, the CJN commended Tinubu 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.

“We shall continue to pray for your administration because there are many good things in the pipeline for Nigerians,” he said.

Justice Ariwoola also commended Tinubu’s administration for appointing a full complement of 21 justices to the Supreme Court, a feat he described as unprecedented.

The Star