Nigeria Is Safer Than Ever Before – Lai Mohammed Rejects Terrorists Attack Warning By US, UK

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Tuesday declared that the security situation in Nigeria is not as bad as some people are painting it to be.

He advanced that the country is safer in recent times while both the government and military authorities are not resting in their attempts to make things better.

The Minister also knocked the embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom for issuing security warnings about possible terrorist attacks on Abuja, the nation’s federal capital territory.

He said such unguarded statements are capable of disrupting the peace and tranquility of Nigeria and urged foreign countries to always seek clarification on such important national issues.

He added that misinformation should be guided against at all levels as it can cause bigger problems.

Naija News reports Mohammed who spoke in Abuja at the ministerial panel of the ongoing UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week also blamed local media and social media users in Nigeria for spreading the information without weighing the consequences or seeking clarification from the government.

Speaking as a panelist at the UNESCO session with the topic, “National Media and Information Literacy Frameworks, Sustaining Beyond Disinformation’’ the Minister said; “some media outlets and social media personalities are usually caught spreading unverified information on their platforms just for click bait and the attendant monetary gain.

“Talking of click bait, this may be what informed the spread of the supposed security alert issued recently by some foreign embassies in Nigeria.

“One would imagine that if indeed this kind of security alert was issued, it was for the attention of citizens of the issuing countries in Nigeria.

“Suddenly, this alert found its way into the media, both new and traditional, thus creating panic in the polity.

“Schools were shut. Businesses were closed. Travel plans were altered. Lives were disrupted. No one cared to find out about the authenticity of these alerts.

“They just published, got the benefit of massive click bait and damned the consequences.’’

The Ability Of The Terrorists Have Been Drastically Reduced

Lai Mohammed insisted that the security and military forces of Nigeria are winning the battle against the insurgents, terrorists, and other criminals.

According to him, Nigeria “is safer today than at any time in recent times.’’

He added that the government is not saying the battle is over or totally won but the bandits and other criminals are feeling the heat from the various military onslaughts.

“We do not discountenance the fact that terrorists, bandits and their kind would always want to do whatever it takes to disrupt our nation’s peace, security and stability.

“Well, I can assure all that our military and other security agencies have continued to do everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in Nigeria.

“Terrorists have been hard hit and put on the run. Bandits have been decimated and scattered,’’ the Minister submitted.

Naija News reports the session was moderated by the Assistant Director-General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO, Dr Tawfik Jelassi.

Others on the team of panelists included Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah while the UK Minister of Tech and Digital Economy, Damian Collins participated virtually.