The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, in a press conference on Wedenday conformed that the incidents of security issues in the country have reduced to an estimated level of 65% across the country.
The minister spoke through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ibrahim Kana, at the press conference before predicting the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Abuja. The minister also disclosed that that the defence apparatus in the country have tried to put in control the activities of banditry and other security issues in the country and will continue until all activities of security beach are dealth with.
The minister noted that the activities of the armed forces in the country have been used to curb criminal activities. He noted that the armed forces have stood tall in the middle of the challenges, which have shown good results in the reduction of the issues. The minister noted that the new strategies employed by the criminals have always been understudied by the military, which has helped in dislodging new bases established by bandits in different parts of the country.
The minster appreciated the personals of the military for their renewed vigour, which helped in reducing the activities of the bandits to as low as 65% across the country. The minster nited that the activities aginst criminals would continue until all their activities are brought to beareast minimum in country.
The minister who spoke on the impact of activities of criminals on the activities of terrorists in the country explained that the commitments made by the governem have continued to drain the the resources of the country. He noted that the the prescription of bandits as a terrorist group has not in any way helped in the fight against their activities which has continued to increase in the past decade.
Badaru noted that the war on insurgency has led to a pack of security challenges threatening the corporate existence of our dear nation. As the nation was beginning to heave a sigh of relief from the insurgency in the North East, new frontiers of terror emerged in the North West and North Central in the form of banditry, cattle rustling, and kidnapping. He noted that despite the classification of the group, they will remain as terrorists/insurgents.
The minister disclosed that the efforts of the military led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, have brought back the Niger Republic into the Multinational Joint Task Force. He explained that with the return of the country, the land bothers of the country with Niger will be protected by the activities of the military.
The minister noted that the Federal Government, through the Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, and relevant Agencies, will continue to help in the rehabilitation of repentant insurgents, which will encourage them to live a happier, more peaceful and productive life despite the citizen’s residence in the communities.
He called on the citizens to always cooperate with the government. He noted that the citizens have been arrived in the past by the deeds of the criminals who have repented. He noted that there was a need to appreciate the efforts made, which calls for the need to end the war going on inorder to encourage co-existence and development in the country.
He assured that the federal government will continue to prioritize the welfare, training, and equipment needs of troops to maintain their operational readiness and efficiency even as it looks forward to adopting a proactive approach to combating security challenges by harnessing intelligence resources and having stronger partnerships with West African neighbours.
