The Federal Government hinted on Monday, September 06, 2022 that it is striving to safeguard the Nigerian space and rid it of all sorts of insecurity that are currently plaguing the country.
It further stated that the military forces and other security services had won the war against insecurity after years of internal displacement of civilians.
These remarks were delivered individually by the quartet of Ministers of Interior Rauf Aregesola, Minister of Defence Major-General Bashir Salih Magashi (rtd), Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, and Minister of Police Affairs Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi at a press conference in Abuja.
General Lucky Irabor, Comptroller General Nigerian Immigration Service Isah Jere Idris, Comptroller General Nigeria Custodial Service (NCoS) Haliru Nababa, Comptroller General Federal Fire Service Abdulganeey Jaji, and representatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps were also present (NSCDC).
Alhaji Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, addressed the crowd, saying that the struggle against terrorism and insecurity was being won by the security forces and that the Muhammadu Buhari administration will do everything possible to defend Nigerians’ lives and property.
“As you are all aware, the issue of security has recently dominated our national discourse, against the backdrop of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping in the North-east, North-west, and North-central; separatist violence and crude oil theft in the South-east and South-south, as well as cultism, armed robbery, and other crimes in the South-west,” Lai said.
“Today, we are here to inform you that, while we may not be there yet, our military and other security agencies have succeeded and continue to succeed in significantly restoring security across the country.”
“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.
“As I said at a summit organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja on Aug. 23rd 2022, President Muhammadu 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.
“Let me quote Mr. President himself on his directive to the military: ‘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.
“These efforts will not stop, or reduce. We must take the fight to the terrorists and demonstrate that there is no hiding place for them within the borders of our country. Each one of them will be hunted, and pursued and spoken to in the language that they understand’. End of quote.’’
“These are great words of assurance, coming directly from the President and Commander-in-Chief himself. The security challenges we have face, as an Administration, have been daunting – from terrorism to banditry to kidnapping to separatist violence to crude oil theft to armed robbery and sundry crimes. It’s undoubtedly the greatest challenge to the peace and security of our great nation since the civil war from 1967 to 1970. It is the kind of challenge that would have overwhelmed many nations. But thanks to the purposeful leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, 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. 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.
“We want to use this opportunity to salute Mr. President for his leadership. When many threw their arms up in the air and felt it was all over, President Buhari remained resolute. When many called for the use of foreign mercenaries to tackle the challenges, especially terrorism and banditry, President Buhari never wavered in his belief in the ability of our gallant men and women in uniform to rise to the occasion, and rise to the occasion they did.
“Some said the security challenges have overwhelmed the military, but the military has now demonstrated that no group of ragtag criminals can ever overwhelm them. Terrorists and bandits and co can run but cannot hide, and this has been demonstrated by the arrest of those who attacked a church in Owo.
“These criminals can run but cannot hide, as we have seen in the decimation of the cowards who ambushed the Brigade of Guards troops in Abuja. I am sure you will hear from my colleagues how our military and other security agencies have been decimating the top echelon of ISWAP and Boko Haram, how armed bandits camps and resources have been destroyed, and how the capacity of IPOB/ESN has been substantially degraded.”
Major-General Magashi, Minister of Defence, also spoke, declaring that Nigeria’s worst period of insecurity was over.
Magashi stated that the military and other security services had contained the country’s challenging security concerns.
He asked Nigerians to notify security officers if they see any illegal activity in their community, noting that security is everyone’s responsibility.
“We have now put terrorists, bandits, and others on the run, and we will not stop until they are crushed.”
“We must also recognise that security is everyone’s business, hence the phrase ‘if you see something, say something.'”
“Terrorists and robbers are not spirits.” They are human people, and some of them live in our neighbourhoods. For peace to prevail, they must all be exposed and crushed,” Magashi added.
In similar remarks, Interior Minister Ogbeni Aregbesola told the people that the Buhari administration was capable of securing the country.
“The nation has had and continues to face security difficulties all around the country, the majority of which predate the Muhammadu Buhari government,” he stated. Insurgents in the North-east, bandits in the North-west and North-central, militants in the South-south, separatists in the South-east, and ritual killers in the South-west are among them. We have continual attacks on pipelines, electricity cables, and other important national infrastructure around the country, as well as crude and refined oil theft, kidnapping for ransom, and farmer-herder confrontations.
“The security agencies rose to this challenge and largely degraded the groups and persons constituting the threats. What we face mostly are flashes of cowardly attacks from the rumps of groups that have been routed in one location, moving to another to give the 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. Every inch of the Nigerian soil will be safe by December. Take it home.”
