We have strong evidence of politicians sponsoring banditry, kidnapping - COAS

- Tukur Buratai has said aggrieved politicians who lost in the last general elections are behind unrest in the country
- The Army boss said the military has strong evidence to support this but that the force is still very conscious

- Buratai also urged the politicians to shelve all other sentiments they may have and put national interest first
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has blamed the violence and banditry in the country on the embittered politicians who lost in the last general elections.

Buratai said this on Wednesday, May 15, during the visit paid to the Army by the House of Representatives committee at the military’s headquarters of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya in Maiduguri, Bornu state, Channels TV reports.


“I want to believe and rightly so that what is going on in the northwest is a fall out of the just concluded general elections.
“There are several political interests; politicians in particular who lost in the election and because of their defeat, therefore they are trying to take revenge sponsoring some of those banditry activities and seeming conflicts between farmers and herders,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that the committee was in Borno state to lay wreaths for the fallen heroes of the force in Maiduguri.

The CAOS also said the committee’s visit is an opportunity to urge members of the House to advise the aggrieved politicians to place national interests before any other sentiments they may have.

The Lieutenant also said the Army has strong evidence the politicians are indeed behind the unrest in the country, but that the military is still very conscious.
“We have some strong evidence, but we are still being conscious, but the best thing is to advise these politicians who are aggrieved for no just cause and are inflicting serious injury and discomfort to individuals and the country,” he said.

Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that as the presidential election tribunal began sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday, May 15, a team of security operatives surrounded the building.
The said team comprises officers of the
Nigerian Army, the police and Civil Defence as roads leading the police headquarters, the federal secretariat and ministry of finance were also blocked.