Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Monday , in Makurdi, the Benue State capital advanced the reason why Boko Haram activities may continue unabated , saying that Nigeria has been denied access to acquire adequate weapons to fight terrorists .
Speaking to journalists after he paid a courtesy visit on the state governor , Samuel Ortom , at the government house, Mohammed said “ Nigerians will remain at the mercy of terrorists ” .
The minister described the killing of rice farmers as ‘ unfortunate ’ but noted that to decimate the terrorist group , the country needed more support from global partners as well as acquiring adequate weapons to fight them .
The minister said , “ When we talk about terrorism, people don’ t seem to appreciate that terrorism is not a local issue , it is a global issue and there is no part of the world that doesn ’ t experience its own pocket of terrorism.
“ But you must also note that we are dealing with terrorists who are financed globally and we also need more support from global partners , for instance, Nigeria has made an attempt to acquire a better and more effective platform to deal with terrorists but for one reason or the other we have been denied this platform , these weapons and without adequate weapons or platform we remain at the mercy of terrorists .
The minister further said , “ You see fighting terrorists is not a joke because what actually happened in Borno State is unfortunate but you must also look at the strategy of the terrorists .
“ Terrorists use media and publicity as oxygen, so when they go on this kind of mindless killing of people. It is not that the government is not doing enough , terrorism whether in Afghanistan or anywhere in the world has the same concept, a group of people who are extremist in their thoughts who don ’ t think that you and me should be alive. ”
Governor Samuel Ortom commended the federal government for the deployment of Operation Whirl Stroke to the state.
The Minister of Information and Culture , Lai Mohammed, on Monday , in Makurdi, the Benue State capital flanked by Gov. Ortom and his Deputy, dressed in Benue traditional attires
