Nigerian Armed Forces Making Significant Gains Against Insurgency, Says Defence Minister

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Armed Forces have made significant strides in combating insurgency, banditry, and other threats to national security, according to the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Mohammed Bello Matawalle.

However, many of these successes remain undisclosed to the public for security reasons, to protect the forces operating on the ground, he explained.

Dr. Matawalle made the statement during a meeting with Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Assistant to the President on Policy and Coordination/Head of the Central Result Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja.

Ms. Usman presented the first to third quarter 2024 Performance Assessment Report on the implementation of Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables.

The Minister highlighted a marked decrease in reported incidents of oil theft, bunkering, piracy, and kidnappings since the current administration assumed office.

He assured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to further enhancing national security, pledging to promptly submit achievement data to Ms Usman’s office for review.

Ms Usman, in response, urged the Ministry of Defence to increase public dissemination of information on the Armed Forces’ achievements to counter misinformation and negative perceptions.

She suggested conducting regional tours of affected areas to gather firsthand accounts from rescued individuals, providing verifiable evidence of the government’s progress.

Dr. Ibrahim AbDrkar Kana, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, provided a detailed account of the Ministry’s accomplishments during the Q1-Q3 report review.

He praised the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for their dedication and commitment to securing Nigeria.

He further challenged Ministry Directors to maintain their high level of performance.