The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, says plans are underway to scale up the use of technology in the campaign against insurgents, bandits and other criminal elements.

He stated that technological devices would help the security operatives to track the location of the non-state actors, in line with efforts to address the high level of insecurity in the country.

Speaking in Kaduna on Tuesday at a Pre-Ramadan meeting organised by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), the minister expressed delight that the security agencies have been doing a wonderful work by apprehending bandits in different parts of the country.

According to him, “The way the bandits operate makes it difficult for the security agents because they cannot be everywhere.

“In spite of the way the terrorists operate, the security personnel have been doing a wonderful work by neutralising, apprehending them and rescuing victims in parts of the country.”

He employed the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria to pray for peace in the country, saying that it is only in a peaceful environment that government would be able to carry out its programmes for the overall benefit of the citizens.

The President of SCSN, Sheik Aburrasheed Hadiyullah said, “In these challenging times, it is crucial that we uphold the principles of peace, unity, and understanding.

“We should preach against resorting to violent protests against the government and strive for dialogue and constructive engagement with government to address our concerns.

“Islam encourages us to seek solutions to problems with our leaders through peaceful means only. Violence only begets more violence, and it is our duty as responsible citizens and followers of Islam to promote harmony and stability.”

He urged the Ulamah to highlight the increasing moral decadence within Muslim communities in Nigeria, lamenting that traditional values of Islam that once anchored the society are clearly fast eroding, giving way to a range of ethical challenges like moral corruption, dishonesty, and a diminishing sense of communal responsibility.

“This troubling trend not only undermines the core principles of Islam but also threatens the social fabric that binds our communities together,” he noted.

“We should in unison keep appealing to our governments to take concrete steps to address the issue of corruption, leakages and wasteful spending. Corruption is like a cancer, which destroys everything noble and undermines the principles of good governance,” he added.