Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says it has been difficult for the Muhammadu Buhari regime to combat the myriad of security challenges plaguing the country faced by Nigeria.

Mr Mohammed who blamed the regime’s failure on Nigerians for refusing to “expose bandits”, and other terrorists, said “People should expose these criminals and then, the various efforts of the government will be effectively complemented and we will see the results.”

The minister said this during a Bond FM Radio programme in Lagos on Saturday.

Also, the minister reacted to the suggestion by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to use mercenaries to fight the bandits, stating that the Buhari regime would not consider it.

“The mercenaries cannot be compared with our own security forces; the fight against the bandits is a difficult one because of the terrain.

“We cannot just go with full force to bomb them or else the innocents living around them will be killed, and we don’t want that to happen,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said that the regime had invested heavily in security to keep the country safe, adding that government would not rest until the lives and property of Nigerians were fully secured.

“We have been trying our best in the fight against the bandits by equipping all our security apparatus; the government has purchased aircraft so that they can fight alongside the soldiers. We have not rested on our oars.

“The welfare of the police is also given adequate attention, and very recently, this administration recruited 25,000 constables and deployed them to their home states. This will go a long way in community policing,” the minister said.

(NAN)