Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila says though Boko Haram had been decimated, “security is still very terrible” under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Gbajabiamila made this statement while addressing journalists after paying Sallah homage to Mr Buhari in Daura on Friday, saying the APC led government met “some difficulties on ground.”

He said the All Progressives Congress government led by Mr Buhari came to power promising to tackle insecurity, corruption and pursue economic prosperity for the country. But “security is still terrible.”

“We came on the mantra of security, anti-corruption and economy and if you want to be objective we are not where we were,” Mr Gbajabiamila said.

“The security is still very terrible. But Boko Haram has been decimated. Their leader has been killed, those who foment trouble have been arrested.”

Blaming successive governments, the Speaker argued that the APC led government inherited some difficulties which they are working to surmount.

“I think we are on course. It is difficult, don’t get me wrong, we met some difficulties on ground and we are working and building slow and surely,” Mr Gbajabiamila said.

Spokesperson to the president, Garba Shehu, had in April blamed the Nigerian media for reporting insecurity in the country like something new just to rubbish the government of Mr Buhari.

“There is a determination by some people to make security their narrative that will lead to next election, 2023. We are sad. We are not happy that people are killing each other. But the way reporting is done is to suggest that it had never happened before,” Mr Shehu said.

“The other day I was reading a newspaper to the audience. New Nigeria newspaper reporting kidnapping of November 7, 1966 in the mid-West,” Mr Shehu said. “If something like that happens today it would be reported like there has never been an incident like that in the history of the country and Buhari, not any other person, is responsible. So we know the game in town.”

In the past five months, bandits have launched coordinated attacks on communities, killing and abducting school students in hundreds across Katsina, Niger and Zamfara State.

About 136 students kidnapped in Tegina, Niger State and the majority of abducted Bethel Baptist School, Kaduna students are still in bondage as at the time this report is filed.

On Sunday July 18, a Nigeria Air Force fighter jet was downed by bandits in Zamfara, the pilot fortuitously escaped with injury.