Buhari says insecurity in north-west surprising, asks elite to be ‘more understanding’

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the elite to be “more understanding” of the Nigerian military as the country grapples with a high level of insecurity.

 

Buhari said the spate of attacks and kidnappings in the north-west is a “big surprise and disappointment”.

 

He said the military is making efforts to tackle the situation but that it takes a “very long process” to achieve the desired results.

 

In a statement released on Thursday by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, Buhari said his administration is doing its best with available resources.

 

 “The elite should make the attempt to understand the military. If we order for weapons and armored vehicles, it takes time for the manufacturers. It takes time to ship them and when brought here eventually, they are taken to training institutions, train the trainers before sending them to the field. This is a very long process,” the statement reads in part.

 

“I expect Nigerians to be more understanding on the issues involved, looking at the time and available resources.

 

“For example, when we came in, in the Northeast, ask people in Adamawa and Borno States and the South South in terms of security. Without security, you can’t do anything. Our big surprise and disappointment are what is happening in the Northwest and we are dealing with it.”

 

In recent weeks, the president’s handling of the security crisis has been criticised by some prominent Nigerians, including Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, a socio-political group.

 

In the same vein, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), recently called for the president’s impeachment if he cannot solve Nigeria’s insecurity problem.