Insecurity will never be as bad as it used to be – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has assured Nigerians that although there could still be pockets of attacks or kidnap cases witnessed across the country, they will never be as bad as it used to be.

Mohammed spoke at a joint press briefing with three other heads of Ministries, including Minister of Defence, Bashir Salihi Magashi; Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi; Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as well as the Chief of Defense Staff, on the security situations in the country.

There were also chief executives of agencies under the Ministry of Interior in attendance.

The Minister said: “Today, we are here to tell you that while we may not be there yet, our military and other security agencies have succeeded and are succeeding in substantially restoring security across the nation.

“As far as the daunting security challenges we face are concerned, we can tell you that the worst is over. Never again will terrorists and bandits and their cohorts hold sway in our country.

“President Buhari’s directive to the military to crush those terrorising our citizens is working, hence peace and security are gradually being restored to the country.

The Minister, therefore, urged the media to give also give prominence to the successes recorded by security agencies against banditry, kidnapping, terrorists and other security situations in the country the same way they hype the activities of those troubling the country.

President Buhari had recently stated that his directive to crush terrorists and other non-state actors tormenting the country has started yielding results.

He said: “Judging by the available reports to me and news that have begun emerging in the last few days, I will say they have heard this instruction and are responding appropriately. In the past couple of days, you must have heard about the number of terrorists neutralized by the military, and number of hostages freed.

“Mr President had also assured that the efforts of security agencies in restoring peace will not stop or abate but must be sustained to demonstrate that there is no hiding place for terrorists and others within Nigerian borders.”

The Minister reiterated some of the challenges of unconventional warfare, one of which is the inability to declare a truce or reach an agreement, but assured that the military and other security agencies have contained the daunting security challenges confronting the country.