UPDATED: Buhari says he has tackled country’s security challenges

President Muhammadu Buhari has insisted that his administration has tackled a large chunk of the country’s security woes.

The president stated this in an interview aired on Channels Television on Wednesday and monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

The president’s remark comes amidst persistent attacks on innocent citizens in almost every part of the country.

Despite the president’s claim, dozens of persons are either killed or kidnapped on weekly bases across the country.

Many others struggle to pay ransom to rescue their loved ones from the hands of their abductors.

Aside from Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency that has held the North-east region down for over a decade, virtually all parts of the country currently battle one form of insecurity or the other.

Even though authorities claim the insurgents have largely been “degraded” and are now “focusing more on soft targets and solitary military formations”, Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists still carry out attacks in many parts of the North-east including on military posts and formations.

Most parts of the North-west region are now being overrun by rampaging bandits who kidnap for ransom and kill victims who cannot pay for their freedom.

The North-central is also plagued by bandits and criminal herders who operate in parts of Niger, Kogi, Benue and Nasarawa States.

While criminals under the guise of herders are also causing problems in the South-west and South-south regions, the South-east region is now increasingly volatile due to secessionist agitations.

Nigeria now better

Mr Buhari, while reacting to the security situation, chose to focus on the North-east.

“I think you can recall that when I was campaigning in 2015, there were three fundamental issues; security, economy and fighting corruption and for Nigerians to be fair to this administration, they should try and find out from the time we won the election in 2015 to now, in the three promises we made.

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“Securing the country, in the North-east, if you ask anybody from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, there were a number of local governments, about 18 that were in the hands of Boko Haram, none of any local government now is in the hands of Boko Haram or ISWAP.

“So in that respect, we have done something,” he said.

He also said the armed forces have recorded a number of successes in recent weeks in the North-west and North-central in the fight against banditry.

“Within the last four weeks, there are improvements in the North-east and North-central,” Mr Buhari said.