Insecurity: The worst is over – FG

By Doosuur Iwambe

The Federal Government has said that peace and security are returning across Nigeria, noting that the worst is over with regards to the daunting security challenges in the country.

Speaking during a joint press conference on the nation’s security situation in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, noted that while the country may still witness isolated attacks on soft targets by terrorists, the security agencies have battled the agents of darkness and recorded massive victory against the terrorists.

Mohammed said the security forces are winning the fight against insecurity and terrorism, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime would stop at nothing in securing lives and property of Nigerians.

According to him, never again will terrorists and bandits and their cohorts hold sway in our country.

“As you are all aware, the issue of security has dominated our national discourse in recent times, against the background of the 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 sundry crimes in the South-West.

“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. 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.

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“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.”

The minister said that 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.

“We are therefore not saying the battle is over. No. What we are saying is that our military and other security agents have been able to contain the daunting security challenges we face, and that the worst is indeed over. We have now put the terrorists, bandits and their ilk on the run and we will not relent until they have been crushed.”

Others who jointly addressed the press conference include the Ministers of Defence Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as well as Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi.

Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said the security challenges the country faced mostly preceded the President Buhari’s administration.

He equally commended the security agencies for rising to the challenges and for largely degrading the groups and persons constituting the threats.

“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 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.

“We have been doing this and will continue to do so through the operations of the four agencies under the Ministry,’’ he said.

The Minister of Defence who gave accounts of the military operations across the country said they were achieving greater results through synchronised ground and air bombardments of the terrorists.

“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 safer and more secure environment,’’ Magashi said.

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 rrested 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.

Magashi said for the first time, no single incidence of piracy was recorded in the country’s waters in one full year.

He said in the past four weeks, several illegal oil refining sites, consisting of 493 dugout pits, 512 storage tanks, 413 cooking ovens and 59 wooden boats were destroyed.

Additionally, he said several weapons, vehicles, vessels and equipment were recovered.

The minister said about 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.