Despite the complaints to the contrary, a presidential assistant said on Sunday that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is efficiently addressing the security crisis in Nigeria.
Speaking on a Channels Television program, Sunday Politics, Mr Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu.
With dozens of people killed and kidnapped every week by armed men with different intentions, many Nigerians lamented the security situation.
Some Nigerians said the scenario indicates the security system’s complete collapse and the need to rethink the country’s security architecture.
However, Mr Shehu disagreed with the point of view.
“We are in total disagreement with the assumptions of collapse of security in the country,” Mr Shehu said.
“The government is on top of the security situation in the country because we have calmed down North Central and Niger Delta.”
The spokesman said the Buhari administration was predating some of the security problems being experienced.
“Security challenges have been present before the present administration came to office. We have met our own challenges and we are dealing with them as decisive as we can,” he said.
Some Nigerians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, called for a meeting to discuss the security problems facing the nation.
When questioned whether the govt considers the need to call a national insecurity meeting, Mr Shehu said: “to call for a national conference when there is a sitting parliament in place, whoever is making that call is not a democrat.”
Last week, the Senate decided to call a meeting on security to discuss feasible alternatives to the country’s pervasive insecurity.
Some may also see Mr Shehu’s remarks as a way to downplay the security situation, something that has been accused in the past by the government.