Government ministers say Nigeria's darkest days are now behind her as security operatives regain initiative

GOVERNMENT ministers have assured Nigerians that the worst of the insecurity crisis plaguing the country is now behind them as the security forces finally start to get a grip on the situation and begin to clamp down on terrorism.

Since 2009, terrorist sect Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State in West African Province (Iswap), have been waging a war against the Nigerian state. At one stage in 2016, Boko Haram controlled 17 local government areas in Borno State, holding large swathes of territory where it dispensed justice.

Although the Nigerian Army have since regained control of most of this territory, Boko Haram has remained very active in Borno State, carrying out sporadic raids against towns and villages. Over the last week, the authorities say they have regained the initiative, killing of 66 Boko Haram/Iswap terrorists, arresting 96 of them and getting a further 3,407 of them to surrender.

According to the government, these military victories all point to the fact that the war against terrorists and other criminals was yielding positive results.

But the assurance came less than a day after gunmen killed a bus driver and abducted eight of his passengers in Rivers State.  Also, terrorists detained a ‘go-between, who delivered N7 million for the release of a  Divisional Police Officer (DPO)  in their custody. Also, yesterday, internal affairs minister Rauf Aregbesola told a House of Representatives joint committee that security operatives failed to prevent the July 5, 2022 invasion of Kuje Custodial Centre, Abuja, despite elaborate preparations beforehand.

In addition, the government said that 52 civilians have been rescued over the last four weeks and the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway had been cleared of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers. However, ministers added that despite the successes so far recorded,  there would not be a cessation of hostilities against terrorists, kidnappers, and oil thieves.

All this was revealed at joint news briefing in Abuja held by four ministers and the chief of defence staff General Leo Irabor. Ministers at the briefing included Alhaji Lai Mohammed (information), Bashir Magashi (defence), Mohammed Dingyadi (police affairs)  and  Mr Aregbesola.

Alhaji Mohammed said:  “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 northeast, northwest, and north central zones. We have also had separatist violence and crude oil theft in the southeast and south-south as well as cultism, armed robbery and sundry crimes in the south west.

“We may not be there yet but 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. We are not saying the battle is over, no bit 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. I want to repeat, that the worst is over and peace and security are gradually returning to the land.”