The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa' ad Abubakar III yesterday expressed his intolerance for public treasury looters, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy the anti-corruption machinery to disgrace the corrupt officials.

Former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, publisher of The Sun, shared the Sultan position but stressed that the anti-graft battle should be targeted at the real culprits and not political foes.

The Sultan, speaking at the opening of a National Security Summit organised by the police in collaboration with The Sun Publishing Limited in Abuja, maintained that the treasury plunderers do not deserve mercy, urging that they should be tried and jailed.

“It is our belief that all those found guilty should not only have their entire assets seized and forfeited to government but also face jail sentences,” he said.

President Buhari at the event also said more hands were on the way for the police, revealing his plan to recruit 10,000 to strengthen the capacity of the police to fight insurgency and other crimes.

The summit’s theme is “Community partnership approach to internal security and crime management”.

Besides, Buhari said his administration was considering Close Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring systems for major cities and towns to address security challenges.

The president reminded the police that no matter how well motivated, equipped and successful they think they are, they cannot operate without the support of the various communities.

“The need for community input to crime management and policing in Nigeria has become more imperative, considering our current national security challenges in which kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, transitional crimes, terrorism and other organised crimes evolve and threaten our national values and overall progress as a nation,” he said.

To address the challenges, including unemployment, illiteracy, radicalisation, negative peer group influence, substance abuse and erosion of family and moral values, President Buhari restated his promise to empower the youth.

“The Federal Government is planning to employ at least an extra 110, 000 police officers and establish a properly trained and equipped Federal Anti-Terrorism Multi-Agency Task Force that will effectively address the challenge of future insurgency in a sustainable manner,” the president also said.

Adapted from Then Nation. Photo shows the Sultan

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