- The Defence Minister rated Nigeria’s security performance between 65 and 70 percent
- He blamed worsening criminal activities on declining family values and desperation for wealth
- Security agencies were praised for making progress against terrorism and violent crimes
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has said Nigeria has recorded significant progress in the fight against terrorism and insecurity, giving the country’s current security performance a score of between 65 and 70 percent.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, the minister stated that although criminal activities such as terrorism and kidnapping still occur in parts of the country, the overall security situation has improved considerably compared to previous years.
According to him, no nation in the world is entirely free from crime and criminality, stressing that Nigeria’s security agencies have continued to make substantial gains in the fight against insurgency and violent crimes.
“Yes, I’ll give ourselves 65 to 70 percent score. No nation is totally free from crime and criminality, but the level of terrorism across the country has actually drastically reduced,” he said.
The minister attributed many of the nation’s security challenges to what he described as the erosion of family values and poor societal orientation. He expressed concern over the growing desperation among some Nigerians to acquire wealth through illegal means rather than through hard work and legitimate ventures.
He noted that incidents involving family members participating in criminal acts against one another highlighted deeper social problems confronting the country.
“We have seen fathers kidnapping children, children kidnapping each other, and brothers kidnapping sisters. It tells you that there’s something wrong with the family, and we need to also look inward to see how we can now develop those aspects again,” he stated.
The minister also emphasised the importance of education and moral upbringing, urging young people to avoid shortcuts to wealth.
“People need to understand that to make money, work very hard, don’t look for shortcuts. Most of these people taking part in those kidnappings and all these things are looking for shortcuts,” he added.
Musa further suggested that some criminal activities may be politically motivated, alleging that certain acts of kidnapping and violence could be aimed at portraying the government as weak or making the country appear ungovernable.
“And again, you can’t rule out politics,” he said. “Sometimes you can look at it as acts of sabotage to make the government look weak, or to make the country look ungovernable.”
Despite the lingering security concerns, the defence minister commended the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies, saying they were working tirelessly to combat insecurity across the country.
He also appreciated Nigerians for supporting the military and security agencies, noting that the level of public cooperation had improved significantly.
“The armed forces and security forces are working tirelessly to address those issues. The level of support we are getting is a lot better than it used to be in the past, and we’re making more inroads,” he said.