The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Thursday admitted that the rising incidence of banditry, herdsmen violence, Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of criminality were behind the increasing calls for secession in the country.
The minister added that the current insecurity in the country poses a great danger to Nigeria’s unity.
Mohammed lamented that the issues of farmers, herders crisis, banditry, kidnapping among other insecurity challenges had led to increasing agitations and separatist agenda around the country.
He stated these during a Town Hall meeting in Kaduna tagged: “Setting Benchmarks for Enhanced Security and National Unity in Nigeria”.
The minister also noted that teamwork from all Nigerians in ensuring the rescue of the country remains the solution to these challenges.
Mohammed said, “Ominously, the general state of insecurity, as reflected in incidences of farmers/herders clashes, Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, ethno-religious clashes and intolerance, cultism, drug addiction and kidnapping for ransom, are now triggering rising call for secession as well as politicization of ethnic and religious differences.
“Bluntly put, the insecurity and its manifestations pose a dangerous threat to the unity of the country and its continued existence as one indivisible nation.
“How did we get here and what can we do to change the narrative? We believe that finding a way out of the situation in which we have found ourselves requires teamwork, reflecting all diversities and leveraging on all our collective creativity to pursue with diligence the project of rescuing Nigeria.”
