Security has improved in North-West — Defence Minister

Nigeria’s Defense Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru Abubakar, has announced that security has improved in the northwest and north-central parts of the country.

The minister attributed the progress to the ongoing coordinated efforts against bandits and banditry in the affected areas, specifically in Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Katsina, and Kaduna states.

The Minister made the disclosure while fielding questions to news in Birninkudu town, the headquarters of Birninkudu local government area in Jigawa.

Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar reiterated the determination of the federal government to ensure the eradication of all forms of insurgency in the country before the end of the year.

According to him, “Going by the public comments, from opinion leaders, civil society organizations, (CSOs) and to the residents of the areas affected by terrorism and banditry, everybody is saying banditry and terrorism had improved.

“Even with this positive turn of events, we’ll continue to on our current achievements and we’re doing our best to give our armed forces all the needed logistics support they require to contain the insurgency this year.”

Commenting on the sour diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and its Niger Republic, the minister downplayed the development saying both Nigeria and Niger were like brothers.

He said, “We’ve said it a number of times that we’re brothers and so we can’t do anything, matter how small that will hurt Niger Republic. Because we believe that Nigeria and Niger are one and the same, so anybody that is plotting to incite Nigeria and Niger will not succeed.”

The minister admonished Nigerians to continue to provide the security agencies with the necessary and credible that could lead to routing of insurgents and their collaborators.

His words, “We need the public to support the security agencies by providing us with credible information on how to fight insecurity and give us real information on the identities and the whereabouts of the bandits, terrorists and those supporting them and they should desist from their activities.

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