Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has reacted to comments by former President Olusegun Obasanjo about insecurity in the country.

Obasanjo who spoke recently had stated that Nigerians are no longer safe anywhere in the country and that the Buhari administration is overwhelmed by insecurity.

However, while countering Obasanjo’s comment during an interview on Television Continental (TVC) on Monday, April 4,  Mohammed stated that the Buhari-led administration is not overwhelmed by the current security challenges, adding that the military and other security personnel are doing their best and have recorded successes in the fight against terrorism.

He said;

“Our military is doing its best. The government is by no means overwhelmed even if it appears to some that it is overwhelmed.

“And that is why I have tried to explain the successes of the military in recent time; the fact that thousands of terrorists have surrendered, the fact that we have regained territories. That the federal government has been giving the security forces the platforms, an enabling environment to win the war.

“As I said, when the terrorist attack like that, their main is to, with one single spectacular attack, discredit the military but that does not take away from the successes of our military in fighting terrorism.”

Mohammed also assured Nigerians that the present administration is committed to ensuring that everyone is safe.

On the recent train attack which left eight people dead and many others missing, the Minister said;

“The federal government is working toward ensuring that such incident does not reoccur.

“One of the things that the government wants to do is to fast-track the installation of a surveillance and monitoring system, not just on the Abuja-Kaduna rail track.

“But also on the Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe rail tracks to ensure that at any given time we will be able to monitor from the control room.”

Speaking on the fight against banditry, he said;

“We must give kudos to our military; you know that we are not fighting a conventional war but terrorism, hence the need for everyone to support the security agencies so as to win over the menace.

“These terrorists are not the enemies of Buhari but of the entire country. And we need the support of everybody, we need the encouragement. The military needs the encouragement and understanding of everybody.”