Kidnappers ‘ll be treated as terrorists, they are cowards going after soft targets – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has called for treating those involved in kidnapping as terrorists and characterising them as cowards pursuing soft targets.

The Nigerian leader assured that his administration would get rid of bandits and kidnappers across the country.

Tinubu spoke at a Ramadan dinner with members of the federal judiciary led by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), held at the State House on Tuesday.

In a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, Tinubu said only cowards go after innocent schoolchildren.

He said: ”We must treat kidnappers as terrorists. They are cowardly. They have been degraded. They look for soft targets.

“They go to schools and 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.”

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

”I recognize that the judiciary has one of the most unrewarded responsibilities. They are yet to modernize equipment and recordkeeping, and their progress towards improvement is slow,” he said.

A judicial officer’s career path prohibits them from practicing the profession for which they received training after retirement, the president observed.

”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.”

Tinubu expressed gratitude to the judiciary for its dedicated service to the nation and for upholding the respectability of the judicial arm of the government.

“We will continue to support one another and bring Nigeria to that glorious dawn,” he concluded.

In his remarks, Ariwoola commended the president for the honour of hosting judicial officers at a Ramadan dinner.

He also lauded Tinubu for his commitment to reforms and improving the welfare of judicial officers in the country.

“May the Lord continue to bless you and your administration. Let your ship land and berth beautifully. We shall continue to pray for your administration because there are many good things in the pipeline for Nigerians,” the CJN said.

Ariwoola praised the administration for achieving a significant milestone by appointing a full complement of 21 justices to the Supreme Court, a feat he described as unprecedented.