Insurgents would’ve declared Islamic State in Nigeria – Lai Mohammed

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, said that if President Muhammadu Buhari had not taken decisive action, insurgents would have succeeded in their goal of declaring an Islamic State in Nigeria. However, during a press conference in Abuja, the minister admitted that the current security situation, which includes banditry and kidnapping, is a major challenge.

“It is easy to forget where we came from,” he said, referring to the gains made by insurgents prior to the current regime. On the other hand, President Buhari has stated that he will continue to provide excellent leadership in order to ensure that security agencies effectively combat the cankerworm of insecurity.

 “The polity has recently been awash with heightened commentary on the country’s security situation,” he says. Genuine concerns in some circles sparked the discussion, while crass politicking or sheer absurdity sparked it in others. “Since taking office in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has made security a central theme of his administration’s policies. This is unsurprising, given that the fight against insecurity is one of the APC-led Federal Government’s three priority areas.

” Yes, the security situation has remained a significant challenge, but it is easy to lose sight of where we are coming from amid the cacophony of voices – some genuinely concerned about the situation, others ready to exploit it for personal gain. 

“ Today, we only consider the current situation without considering what might have happened if this President had not taken the bull by the horns in terms of security.

“With the way the insurgents were going before this administration took office, with their control of a vast swath of land the size of Belgium and their freewheeling attacks in nearly a dozen states, including the Federal Capital Territory, which was hit at least five times, perhaps they could have achieved their goal of declaring an Islamic State in Nigeria if President Buhari hadn’t acted decisively. 

After capturing Bama and Gamboru, as well as other towns and villages in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, Boko Haram declared a Caliphate in Gwoza in 2014. They installed their own Emirs, collected taxes and flew their flag before the military dislodged them.

“While banditry and kidnapping have contributed to the state of insecurity, President Buhari has continued to provide quality leadership to ensure that our security agencies decisively combat the cankerworm of insecurity of any hue.

“ No administration in recent Nigerian history has provided the security agencies with the equipment they need to combat insecurity like President Buhari’s while also raising the morale of our security personnel. Mr. President recently commissioned an armada of naval boats and ships as part of a new effort to strengthen our nation’s maritime security. 

The army, the air force, and the police, among others, have all received new equipment to bolster their arsenals. ” The administration hasn’t solely focused on kinetic measures. Non-kinetic measures have been bolstered as well. 

The creation of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development to coordinate all humanitarian affairs in Nigeria is a major step toward alleviating poverty and reducing the number of people targeted by insurgents and bandits for recruitment. Of course, the federal government’s unprecedented and massive infrastructure investment aims to improve the nation’s socioeconomic well-being and reduce poverty, which is a major source of insecurity.”