The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed on Monday gave reason why Boko Haram activities may continue, as Nigeria’s inability to gain access to acquisition of adequate weapons to fight the terrorists. Mr Mohammed, made the statement in Benue state during a courtesy visit to the state governor, Samuel Ortom, at the government house. While reacting to issues bordering on insecurity and the latest killing of farmers in Borno State he called for more global support and adequate weapons. The minister said, terrorism is a global issue and the Federal Government needs global support to combat it, adding that added that the nation has been denied this support and without adequate weapons, the nation will remain at the mercy of terrorist.
“Terrorism is a global issue and there is no part of the world that is not experiencing these pockets of terrorism. I am glad that you heard from the governor himself that the Federal Government has assisted a lot in curbing the insecurity in Benue State.
“We also need more support from global partners. For instance, Nigeria has made attempt to acquire better and more effective platforms to deal with terrorists. But for one reason or the other, we have been denied these weapons. And without adequate platforms and weapons we remain at the mercy of terrorists,” the Minister said.
“What happened in Borno State was quite unfortunate but we must also be able to look at the strategy of the terrorists. Terrorists use media and publicity as oxygen.
“When they go on the mindless killing of innocent people, it is like a dying terrorist group which suddenly spring back to life. This doesn’t mean that the Federal Government is not doing well enough,
“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,” he added.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists waylaid 43 farmers on Saturday morning around Marrabati and Hammayya villages, near Zabarmari in Jere Local Government Area of Borno, while they were on their way to their rice farms which they were harvesting. The terrorists took away some of the farmers.
