Defence Minister, Magashi, says military achieved 80% success in fight against insecurity

Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), has boasted that the armed forces achieved over 80 per cent success in fighting insecurity and decimating the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality in the last four years.

Magashi who made the assertion during a valedictory dinner organised in his honour by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, on Thursday in Abuja, stated that given the limited resources at its disposal, the military did very well in tackling insurgency including bringing normalcy in the fight against oil theft.

“Whether anybody likes it or not, the armed forces have done the best that is possible to keep this country in the security situation we find ourselve” Magashi said.

“There is nothing that we have not done to keep this country together. In this period, we achieved about 70 to 80 per cent success and we will continue to do the same.

Read also: Nigeria’s armed forces better equipped, ready to end insecurity – Defence minister

“I think the President has given us all the tools necessary to enable us perform our duties credibly,” he said.

Also speaking on the relationship with the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs, the outgoing Minister said:

“I have come to understand that everything we do requires teamwork and when I joined the ministry, I found that there are lot of things that we were required to do.

“We needed synergy among the members of the armed forces and the ministry. I am proud to see that this has continued. I hope it will continue forever.

“You must continue to be soldiers and I am happy that we are doing what we ought to do for this country.

“We should give credit to the outgoing Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari for realising that there is need for synergy among the armed forces and other security agencies,” he added.

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