- Ngelale said much work had gone into securing the country, resulting in relative stability in the South-East.
There are conscious and concerted efforts by some Nigerians of northern extraction to undermine and destabilise the country under President Bola Tinubu’s watch, the presidency has said.
This is even as the presidency said the belligerent and antagonistic political forces in the north are responsible for the latest spate of abductions in the region.
Over 600 persons have been kidnapped in the northern region in the past one week. While terrorists wreaking havoc in the beleaguered north east abducted over 300 internally displaced persons in Borno, suspected bandits terrorising the north west kidnapped 287 schoolchildren from schools in the Chikun area of Kaduna state last Wednesday.
Speaking during an interview with TVC on Sunday night, Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, said Tinubu was working assiduosly to protect lives and properties of Nigerians.
Ngelale said much work had gone into securing the country, resulting in relative stability in the South-East.
“Where we still have some challenges is in the North-Central, North-West and to a large extent in the North-East. There is still a lot of work to be done,” Mr Ngelale said.
He added, “I will say this: across the North, we understand that some of the sub-regional geopolitical forces that are currently at play are actively conspiring against the stability of the Nigerian nation.”
The presidential media aide did not state categorically who the “sub-regional geopolitical forces” are.
However, Ngelale disclosed that the U.S. government was collaborating with Nigerian authorities to secure the rescue of over 280 schoolchildren kidnapped in Kaduna.
He added that the government would work with regional and international bodies to check the activities non-state actors and bring to justice.
“It is worth noting that the United States government has also pledged its assistance to ensure that there is a full return of all of the schoolchildren who were kidnapped recently in Kaduna,” Mr Ngelale said.
He stressed that the point “is we are going to continue to intensify our collaboration not just within the region, but internationally to make sure that some of the regional actors that are conspiring against our nation are brought to justice and ultimately silenced in the future.”
Tinubu had condemned the kidnappings, charging security agencies to rescue the schoolchildren and others.
Amnesty International and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party berated Tinubu for failing in its primary responsibility of securing life and property while calling for the rescue of abducted citizens.
Discussion about this post