It is disappointing but unsurprising that Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, has chosen to deflect rather than address the government’s response as the security crisis in Borno State deepens.
Development Diaries reports that Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (Borno Central) has asked the minister to face his job of projecting a good image of Nigeria rather than politicise insecurity.
When Governor Babagana Zulum raised the alarm at an expanded security council meeting that Borno was ‘losing grounds to Boko Haram’, it was not political posturing; it was a cry for help backed by on-the-ground realities.
Rather than acknowledge these realities, the minister chose to publicly rebuke the governor, insisting that ‘security agencies are working round-the-clock’ and suggesting that the governor’s concerns were exaggerated.
According to the United Nations, over 2.2 million people remain internally displaced in Nigeria’s northeast due to Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks.
Just last month, new attacks were recorded in parts of southern Borno, leading to the deaths of civilians and renewed displacement.
Governor Zulum has distributed over 110 new operational vehicles and 500 motorcycles to boost the capacity of security forces, a move publicly endorsed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
When a state governor, who receives daily briefings from security agencies and traditional leaders, raises the alarm, the job of the federal government, especially the Ministry of Information, is not to downplay or dispute the facts. It is idealy to listen and respond with reassurance.
Development Diaries calls on President Bola Tinubu to recommit to the northeast security agenda, with measurable targets, regular progress reports, and real accountability.
We also urge the federal government to immediately dispatch a high-level fact-finding delegation to Borno, including the Minister of Information, to meet with the governor, military commanders, and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Photo source: Mohammed Idris
