The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno says the Federal Government will apply its full weight to deal with the criminals and will not be blackmailed by any group of people into negotiating with those who threaten the nation’s peace.

The NSA who spoke on Thursday at a State House briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja, said the present administration is not interested in negotiation with bandits, terrorists, and other criminal elements terrorizing the country. He argued that dialoguing with insurgents paints the government as weak and incapable.

“The government is tackling the problem of insecurity, we’ve said this many times that there are two phases in solving this problem –the soft approach: talking, negotiating, and so on and so forth. “While the government is not averse to talking to these entities, these human beings, I have to be very honest, the government has to apply its weight, that force that is required because you can’t even talk with people who are unreliable people, who will turn out to do a different thing and people who will continue to hurt society.

“So, basically, what the government wants to rely upon is to deal with this issue by using all the assets – military assets, intelligence assets to eliminate these people,” the NSA said.