President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, vowed that his administration would do everything possible to deal with bandits and also prevent them from wreaking havoc on farms and food production in the coming planting season.

The President made the disclosure while addressing newsmen at the State House, Abuja shortly after observing the Eid-el-Fitri prayers, the President stressed that the menace would be addressed for food security.

Buhari disclosed that Security Operatives are working assiduously to regain confidence against bandits so that farmers can go back to plant.

“The law enforcement agencies are working hard to regain confidence against bandits so that we can go back to the land.

“This is very important. This is what the agencies are busy doing right now. We want people to go back to the land so that we can get enough food for the country and even export.”

Outlining efforts to tackle insecurity in the country, Buhari drew attention to the series of meetings in recent weeks, chaired by him, adding that a part of the resolutions had been made public by the National Security Adviser (NSA).

“With the resources and manpower available to us, we are working very hard. We are hoping that Nigerians would understand the problem. Nigerians know at what stage we came in 2015, what state we are today both on security and the economy and we are doing our best,” he said.

The President commended the National Assembly for its support, observing: “The National Assembly is cooperating very well. Within the resources available, they are certainly giving us priority on our (military) requests.”

President Buhari appealed to the nation’s elite to show a better appreciation of the problems facing the most populous black nation.

He pleaded: “The elite should make the attempt to understand the military. If we order for weapons and armoured vehicles, it takes time for the manufacturers to supply. It takes time to ship them and when brought here eventually, they are taken to training institutions. The trainers are also trained before sending them to the field. This is a very long process.”

MEANWHILE, the President and his immediate family observed the Eid supplications in deference to existing COVID-19 protocols.

He was joined by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, the NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and others in forecourt of the Presidential Villa.

In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed that his principal carried out the exercise in total compliance with extant non-pharmaceutical measures put in place by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to check the spread of the virus.