The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed confidence that the age-long security challenges bedeviling the country would soon be a thing of the past.
Tunji-Ojo, who gave the assurance on Wednesday while featuring on Channels Tv’s Politcs Today, explained that security agencies are tirelessly working hand in glove to ensure safe borders as well as stamp out crimes and criminalities in the nation.
The Minister also asserted that banditry and kidnapping had drastically reduced to the lowest ebb since the ingress of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, stating firmly that Nigerians will soon sleep conveniently with their eyes closed.
He said: “you can see reduction in banditry and kidnapping ever since the emergence of this administration. You can see we are working with all security agencies to ensure Nigerians sleep with their eyes closed.
“Apart from the fact that NSCDC is empowered to protect mineral sites, farmlands amongst others, we have launched Safe School initiative just to secure our schools. Parents are at peace that their wards are safe”
When asked about the measures taken by the federal government to nip insecurity in the bud, Tunji-Ojo briefly alluded to technological and human Intelligence solutions, stressing that other substantial strategies to be espoused to defeating the menace are not meant for public consumption.
“We are working round the clock to secure lives and properties. There is a sharp decline in the levels of attacks in Nigeria; we have been able to surmount the hurdles”, he said.
While giving update on the issuance of passports, the Minister reiterated his Ministry’s commitment to ensuring seamless door-to-door delivery of the national document, assuring that Nigerians would no longer go to immigration offices to obtain their passports.
On why he did not welcome the standpoint of popular human rights activist, Femi Falana, on channeling a lump sum of N500m donated by organisations as CSR to decongest the Correctional Centers, to the welfare of the inmates, Tunji-Ojo said: “Falana is my elder brother and I respect his views alot but no welfare is more important than freedom.
“He hinted me on this earlier, but governance is about being compassionate. Government is working to bridge the gap between the weak and the strong”, he concluded.