One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s minister has revealed on national television, that the All Progressive Congress, APC-led administration has “largely depreciated the efficiency and efficacy of boko haram” insurgents.
The administration’s position was made known by the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed.
The Minister gave the government’s position, when he featured on a
live TVC News Programme, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.
Lai Mohammed revealed that for anyone to correctly assess the
administration’s performance in fighting insecurity, particularly boko
haram, the individual must understand what the situation was before the
inception of this administration, in 2015.
“Pre-2015, the boko haram terrorists walked freely into any city in
Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. They chose where and
when to make havoc. United Nations Headquarters, the Police
Headquarters, were not spared.
“In 2013 to 2014, boko haram was active in at least 10 States of the
Federation, where they struck at will, they occupied 17 Local
Governments in Borno State alone, 4 in Adamawa, and 2 in Yobe.
“People have easily forgotten that prior to 2015, roads to the
North-East were blocked, schools were closed, banks folded up,
telecommunication companies folded up in the North-East.”
The Minister said that the administration had reversed the trend
since 2015, when it assumed power, chasing away the insurgents out of
Nigeria.
“Today, we can say proudly that the situations have never repeated
itself. Since we came in, boko haram insurgents have not attacked any
institution inside and outside Abuja.
“All the schools, banks, telecommunication companies, are all opened
and functioning in the North-East, and we have succeeded in confining
them to outside Nigeria.
“Today, the Elkanemi football club hosts all other teams from other
parts of Nigeria, in Maiduguri. This is because the government has
restored normalcy to the State”, he said.
The Minister noted that terrorism is a global phenomenon, and
government would continue to appeal to its global and regional partners,
to stand with it in the fight.
He disclosed that with the dislodgment of ISIS from Syria, the group
had been trying very hard to get a foothold over Africa, through boko
haram.
“We will continue to boost our relationship with the multi-national
joint task, and all global partners that are helping us in the fight”,
he said.
On the abducted Chibok girls remaining in captivity and Leah Sharibu,
the Minister said that the government is committed to bringing them
back.
“We are working daily with the international partners in that
regards. However, it is not everything that we can discuss in the
public, because of the very tender nature of the negotiation”, he said.
The Minister pointed out that the government is on top of the
situation, regarding the banditry, cattle rustling, and criminality in
Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina States.
He stated that the last two weeks had witnessed a lot of gains on the
part of the Military, in fighting insecurity in the States.
According to Lai Mohammed, there is no crime-free nation, what is
important, is what the government is doing to address the challenges.
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