The insurgents who have waged a relentless war on Nigeria would have succeeded in declaring an Islamic State in the country, but for the steps that President Muhammadu Buhari has taken since taking office in 2015.
This was the declaration of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, at a press conference in Abuja.
Nigeria is currently witnessing its worst peace-time insecurity, with armed gangs roaming the country’s highways, villages, farmlands and even cities kidnapping people, including schoolchildren, and asking for ransom.
Scores of people have been kidnapped and amounts running into hundreds of millions of naira paid as ransom. While many for whom ransom was paid have been released, others were not so lucky, as they died in the kidnappers’ camps.
While admitting that the level of insecurity now, including banditry and kidnapping, is a big challenge, he noted there had been gains achieved in the fight against the groups.
Mohammed said President Buhari will continue to give his leadership role in the fight against insecurity in the country.
“The polity has recently been awash with heightened commentary on the security situation in the country. The commentary has been triggered by genuine concerns in some circles, and crass politicking or sheer absurdity in others.
This comment comes three days after a national daily, the Daily Trust newspaper, in an editorial on Sunday, lamented over the rising wave of insecurity in the country.
That editorial had attracted a response from the presidency, which said among other things, that rising levels of insecurity were not peculiar to Nigeria.
“Since assuming office in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to make the issue of security a major plank of his Administration’s policy. This is not a surprise, considering the fact that the fight against insecurity is one of the three priority areas of the APC-led Federal Government,” Mohammed said.
“Yes, the security situation has continued to pose a great challenge, but amidst the cacophony of voices – some genuinely concerned about the situation and others ready to exploit it for selfish ends – it is easy to forget where we are coming from. Today, we only look at the current situation, without wondering what would have been had this President not taken the bull by the horns, as far as security is concerned.
“With the way the insurgents were going before this Administration came into office, with their control of a vast swath of land the size of Belgium, with their freewheeling attacks in almost a dozen states, including the Federal Capital Territory which was hit at least five times, perhaps they could have achieved their aim of declaring an Islamic State in Nigeria if President Buhari had not acted decisively. After all, in 2014, Boko Haram declared a Caliphate in Gwoza after capturing Bama and Gamboru as well as other towns and villages in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. They installed their own Emirs, collected taxes and flew their flag before the military dislodged them.
“Yes, banditry and kidnapping have added to the state of insecurity, President Buhari has also continued to provide quality leadership in order to ensure that our security agencies decisively
tackle the cankerworm of insecurity of any hue. No Administration in Nigeria’s recent history has provided the security agencies with the hardware needed to tackle insecurity as that of President Buhari, in addition to raising the morale of our security men and women. Only last week, Mr President commissioned an armada of naval boats and ships in the latest effort to enhance our nation’s maritime security.
The army, the air force and the police, among others, have also been receiving modern hardware to strengthen their arsenal.
“The Administration has not concentrated on the kinetic measures alone. Non-kinetic measures have also been strengthened. The establishment of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to coordinate all humanitarian affairs in Nigeria is a major effort at tackling poverty and shrinking the pool of those being targeted for recruitment by insurgents and bandits. Of course, the Federal Government’s unprecedented and massive investment in infrastructure is also aimed at boosting socio-economic well-being of the nation and further reducing poverty, which is a major cause of insecurity.”