The President stated this in an interview on Arise TV, aired Thursday morning.
The President’s comment comes amid the rise in the activities of bandits in some states in the two zones.
Thousands of persons, including students, have been kidnapped for ransom in different states in the zones.
These have made many farmers desert their farms while some others negotiate with the bandits to go to their farms.
In the interview, the President said Nigerians will see the difference in the activities of the security agents.
He said the country cannot afford another famine that could arise if the activities of the bandits are not checked.
“People of the same culture killing each other, stealing each other’s cattle, as I said, we are going to treat them in a language they understand.
“We are going to give the police and the military power to be ruthless and you watch it, in a few weeks time, they will be different,” Buhari said.