- Lai Mohammed says a proper assessment of the fight against insurgency would show that the current administration has achieved a lot
- Mohammed recalls how the insurgents took over some parts of Nigeria and attacked at will prior to 2015
- The information minister says the government is committed to bringing back the abducted Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu
The federal government reiterated its position on Monday, April 22, that it has largely depreciated the efficiency and efficacy of Boko Haram insurgents in the north east part of the country.
Lai Mohammed, the information minister, gave the government’s position when he featured on a live TVC News programme, 'This Morning' monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to Mohammed, anyone to correctly assess the administration’s performance in fighting insecurity, particularly Boko Haram, must understand what the situation was before the inception of the administration in 2015.
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He said: “Pre-2015, the Boko Haram terrorists walked freely into any city in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory. They chose where and when to make havoc. United Nations headquarters, the Police headquarters were not spared
“In 2013 to 2014, Boko Haram was active in at least, 10 states of the federation where they struck at will, they occupied 17 local governments in Borno state alone, four in Adamawa and two in Yobe."
He argued that people have easily forgotten that prior to 2015, roads to the north east were blocked, schools were closed, banks folded up and telecommunication companies stopped working.
He recalled that the El-Kanemi Warriors football club of Maiduguri relocated to Bauchi for all its home games at that period.
Lai Mohammed said the current administration had reversed the trend since 2015 when it assumed power as it had chased away the insurgents out of Nigeria.
"Today, we can say proudly that the situations have never repeated itself. Since we came in, Boko Haram insurgents have not attacked any institution inside and outside Abuja.
“All the schools, banks, telecommunication companies are all opened and functioning in the North East and we have succeeded in confining them to outside Nigeria.
“Today, the Elkanemi football club hosts all other teams from other parts of Nigeria in Maiduguri," he said adding that this is because the government has restored normalcy to the state.
Lai Mohammed noted that terrorism is a global phenomenon and government would continue to appeal to its global and regional partners to stand with it in the fight.
He further said with the dislodgement of ISIS from Syria, the group had been trying very hard to get a foothold over Africa through Boko Haram.
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“We will continue to boost our relationship with the multi national joint task and all global partners that are helping us in the fight,” he said adding that the government was committed to bringing back the abducted Chibok girls remaining in captivity and Leah Sharibu.
“We are working daily with the international partners in that regards.
“However, it is not everything that we can discuss in the public because of the very tender nature of the negotiation,” he said stressing that the government was on top of the situation regarding the banditry, cattle rustling and criminality in Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states.
Legit.ng also reported that during the programme, Lai Mohammed said the federal government would be unfair for Nigerians to measure its achievements in the fight against corruption by the number of convictions it has secured.
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Source: Legit.ng
