Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, said, “peace and security” are gradually returning to Nigeria as “the worst is over”.
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| Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed |
Lai Mohammed made this disclosure during a media briefing he jointly addressed with some of his colleagues in Abuja on Monday.
The Minister said that Nigeria has suffered so much security challenges from terrorism to banditry, crude oil theft, kidnapping, separatist violence, armed robbery and other forms of crimes.
Other top personalities within the country that were present at the media briefing in Abuja are: Minister of Defence Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), Minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Mohammed Dingyad and Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, alongside Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Lucky Irabor.
He said: “It is the kind of challenge that would have overwhelmed many nations, but thanks to the purposeful leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“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.
“We can say, I want to repeat, that the worst is over and peace and security are gradually returning to the land.
“Please don’t misunderstand or misrepresent this assertion because we may still witness isolated cases of security challenges here and there, but it will not be on the scale that we have witnessed in the past,’’ he assured.
Lai Mohammed thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his determined leadership and the military for their fight against those elements threatening the “peace and security” of the country.
He did not hesitate to extend some gratitude to the media for being reliable watchdogs and charged them to not relent in reporting the successes achieved by the by the security agencies.
Aregbesola also praised the security agencies for their fight against all the securtiy challenges facing the country.
“What we face now mostly are flashes of cowardly attacks from the rumps of groups that have been routed in one location, moving to another to give a false impression that they are still strong.
“Our ultimate goal is to eliminate them altogether and restore total and lasting peace over every inch of Nigerian soil.
“We have been doing this and will continue to do so through the operations of the four agencies under the Ministry,’’ he said.
The Defence Minister gave account of the military operations within the country, he said: “We have been forcing many of them, including Commanders to surrender in droves, with members of their families.
“Areas where terrorists hitherto had some freedom of action are being cleared, socio-economic life is gradually returning to most parts of the North East.
“Erstwhile Internally Displaced Persons are now returning to their ancestral homes to start life all over, in dignity, under a safer and more secure environment.”
According to PMNews:
Specifically, the minister said in the past four weeks, more than 3,407 Boko Haram Terrorists including members of their families have surrendered.
Additionally, he said 66 terrorists were neutralized including one of the key ISWAP Commanders, Modu Chaka Bem Bem and 20 of his fighters, while 55 were arrested and 52 civilians rescued.
He said troops recovered large quantities of ammunition and illicit drugs while the surrendered and arrested terrorists have been subjected to profiling and the relevant legal processes.
several illegal oil refining sites, consisting of 493 dugout pits, 512 storage tanks, 413 cooking ovens, and 59 wooden boats were destroyed.
25,800 barrels of crude oil, 3,200 liters of Premium Motor Spirit, and 2,000 liters of Dual Purpose Kerosene were recovered during various operations while 21 pipeline vandals were arrested.
