Connect with us
Advertisement

Nigeria News

Insecurity: We’re Not Overwhelmed – FG Replies Obasanjo

Published

on

Nigeria Is Safe For Investment - Lai Mohammed
Advertisement

The Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has stated that it was not overwhelmed by the security challenges in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known on Monday during a Television Continental (TVC) programme while reacting to a statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Naija News reports that Obasanjo on Saturday said the various security challenges in the country have overwhelmed the Buhari government, adding that citizens are not safe to travel by road, airport and train.

He stated that Nigerians are no longer safe anywhere in the country following the invasion of the Kaduna International Airport and the terror attack on a Kaduna-Abuja bound train.

Advertisement

Reacting, Mohammed stated that the former Nigerian leader was wrong to have said the federal government was overwhelmed by rising insecurity in the nation.

The minister said the military has recorded a string of successes against Boko Haram in the North East and has also curtailed their nefarious activities in the region.

He asserted that the operation of the troops in the region has led to the decimation of Boko Haram camps and the surrender of thousands of insurgents, adding that the military has started flushing bandit terrorists from the North-West.

Advertisement

Mohammed, however, asked the opposition not to politicize the security situation so as not to dampen the morale of the military, adding that the military needs the support of Nigerians.

He said “Our military is doing its best. The government is by no means overwhelmed even if it appears to some that it is overwhelmed.

“And that is why I have tried to explain the successes of the military in recent time; the fact that thousands of terrorists have surrendered, the fact that we have regained territories. That the federal government has been giving the security forces the platforms, an enabling environment to win the war.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“As I said, when the terrorist attack like that, their main is to, with one single spectacular attack, discredit the military but that does not take away from the successes of our military in fighting terrorism.

“We must give kudos to our military; you know that we are not fighting a conventional war but terrorism, hence the need for everyone to support the security agencies so as to win over the menace.

“These terrorists are not the enemies of Buhari but of the entire country. And we need the support of everybody, we need the encouragement. The military needs the encouragement and understanding of everybody.

Mohammed said the federal government is working toward ensuring that the attack on the Kaduna-Abuja train does not happen again.

He said the government is fast-tracking the installation of surveillance systems along railway tracks in the country.

“The federal government is working toward ensuring that such incident does not reoccur.

“One of the things that the government wants to do is to fast-track the installation of a surveillance and monitoring system, not just on the Abuja-Kaduna rail track.

“But also on the Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe rail tracks to ensure that at any given time we will be able to monitor from the control room,” he said.