Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says President Bola Tinubu has placed the country’s security architecture on its “highest alert” following a string of attacks in parts of Nigeria.
Idris spoke in Abuja on Wednesday while addressing a press
conference on the recent spate of terrorist attacks in Kebbi and Kwara states.
Idris said the president sympathised with families affected
by the recent killings, abductions and other acts of criminality across the
country.
He said Tinubu had ordered the military, police and
intelligence agencies to “actively pursue and eliminate terrorists, bandits and
criminal elements wherever they may be”.
The minister added that the president had also directed
security forces to ensure the swift rescue of the abducted schoolgirls in
Kebbi.
He described the killing of a senior army general, the
abduction of students in Kebbi, and the attack on a church in Kwara as “painful
reminders of the threats confronting the nation”.
He said the latest incidents had strengthened the
government’s resolve to defeat terrorism and banditry, noting that Tinubu had
postponed his scheduled international engagements, including the G20 meeting in
South Africa, to focus on domestic security.
He added that additional military and police deployments had
been approved for the Eruku community and other parts of Ekiti LGA in Kwara.
Idris said Vice-President Kashim Shettima was in Birnin
Kebbi at the president’s directive, holding meetings with the governor,
security chiefs, traditional rulers and relatives of the abducted students.
He said Tinubu had instructed all security agencies to
“neutralise and dismantle” terrorist networks nationwide.
The minister also dismissed attempts to frame the security
situation in religious terms.
He said the federal government “categorically refutes any
sectarian interpretation”, adding that terrorism and banditry had affected
citizens of all faiths.
“In this critical moment, national unity is our most
powerful asset,” he said.
He said Nigeria remained a multi-faith country where freedom
of worship is constitutionally protected, urging citizens to support security
agencies and stand together against misinformation and division.
He expressed confidence that ongoing operations would lead
to the rescue of the abducted schoolgirls and the restoration of peace in
affected communities.
Earlier, George Akume, secretary to the government of the
federation (SGF), said recent statements by US President Donald Trump
concerning the security situation in Nigeria have emboldened violent groups
seeking to exploit international narratives to launch fresh attacks across the
country.
Trump recently tagged Nigeria as a “country of particular
concern” and accused the federal government of turning a blind eye to attacks
on Christians.
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