Bandits out to embarrass FG with abductions, says minister

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, yesterday, attributed rising insecurity in the country to activities of criminals, who are bent on embarrassing the Federal Government, insisting that the recently reorganised national security architecture will end the menace.

Sirika, who spoke with journalists after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said Nigerians would soon experience relief, especially with the appointment of new security chiefs.

He expressed confidence that the rising incidents of abductions, banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities would soon be over.

His words: “The Federal Government is doing everything possible to stop criminality in the country and by special grace of God, the recent abduction of school children in Niger State should be the last Nigeria will experience.

“There may be the possibility that some people will try to embarrass government, but government has the resources to give the best security.”

On specific measures government was putting in place, he disclosed that measures have been put in place to ensure safer schools, in partnership with the sub-nationals and locals in the communities.

The minister said others include intelligence and information gathering, supply of equipment and weapons, as well as training and retraining of security personnel, among others.

“Government is doing everything humanly possible to ensure security of lives and property and to ensure that the embarrassing abduction of school children doesn’t happen again in the country. Government is committed to this and will continue to do so.

“There was a time in this country when governance became impossible. A section of this country was hoisting another flag. We couldn’t go to churches or mosques or do our normal businesses.

“There were moments when there were security checkpoints everywhere across the country. There were moments we couldn’t go to work or farm. In Kano, which is a city of 10 million people, some bandits went to the Emir that reigned for 50 years and shot him.

“They bombed the Central Mosque of Kano and over one thousand people died, but that was in the past. There are security challenges in all countries of the world, even in the United States and United Kingdom,” he stated.

He said people could be mobbed or killed on the streets of UK, but the important thing is that government was doing something, because they are committed

“And truly, our government too is committed. President Buhari is a true Commander-in-Chief and he had been there before and he is doing his best. If you do justice to this government, you can say it has done better than before,” he added.