President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed to end banditry in Nigeria.

This is as he applauded his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, who, he said, courageously took over the reins of power in 2015 at a critical time when terrorism was at its peak in the country.

Tinubu spoke as the chief guest at the launch of the book “Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity (2015–2023)” by Femi Adesina.

He said he inherited the job of securing every inch of the country, which is yet to be finished.

Tinubu also boasted that his government will stamp out the vestiges of Boko Haram, Ansaru, banditry and kidnapping gangs, adding that “we won’t rest until every agent of darkness is completely rooted out.”

The President said he was aware that he inherited huge liabilities from his predecessor but he would work to complete them, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway.

Painting a picture that the task of governing the country was not an easy one, Tinubu said President Buhari assumed office at a very difficult period of our national life when the economy was spiralling into recession and Boko Haram had taken over swathes of territory in the North East.

According to him, it even appeared at a point that even Abuja, the seat of government, would fall into the hands of Boko Haram with the bombing of the UN Building, Banex Plaza, Nyanya and other locations within the Federal Capital Territory.

He said: “We cannot easily forget how our armed forces battled the Boko Haram terrorists under the leadership of President Buhari to reclaim our territory and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad, where they no longer pose an existential threat to our sovereignty.

Speaking further at the well-attended book launch, which had Alhaji Mohammed Indimi as the chief launcher, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and former ministers who served under Buhari’s government, Tinubu said he was extremely happy to receive his predecessor in Abuja.

His words: “We are all here today to honour a great man, a patriot, and a dedicated public servant who offered his best in the service of our country since he joined the army in 1962 at age 18.

He said history will be kind to ex-President Buhari for promoting local production of goods to grow our economy.

“Whatever challenges faced by President Buhari in his eight years that remain unresolved, our administration will endeavour to resolve them. As I said during the campaigns, I inherited all his assets and liabilities,” Tinubu stated.

He further vowed that his administration will continue to work from where President Buhari stopped, “to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people.”