The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-West), Abdulillahi Yakassai, has said the insecurity crisis in the country is depriving the president of sleep.

Yakassai made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.

“The security situation in some parts of the country has really been subdued, but there are some elements of new tactics coming up, like the one we see in Kwara State—very unfortunate.

“Even the president is having sleepless nights because every week you see him having a security council meeting in the Presidential Villa to see how to address this insecurity,” Yakassai said on the breakfast show.

His comments come amid concerns over the state of insecurity in the country, which many believe has worsened under the current government.

However, the presidential aide argued that the fight against insurgency has become more challenging because insurgents have adopted guerrilla warfare.

“It’s very hard to tackle. We have come from a long-time crisis, and it has been happening, and you can’t just blame this government for it,” he said.

“You wouldn’t know where they come from, and I’m telling you there is a hand in this kind of insecurity issue. We cannot just say it is a coordinated insecurity situation.

“There are some elements that are against this government that are instigating this kind of insecurity situation just to give the new government a bad name,” he added.

Speaking further, Yakassai cited some states where insecurity, he said, has reduced drastically.

“Some places where we know there was massive insecurity, like between Abuja and Kaduna, have really subsided. Now we don’t see that insecurity challenge in those areas, and then in Zamfara State, hardly do you hear these days that there is that insecurity.

“But they have changed tactics just because it’s guerrilla warfare, just like I said, and now they have moved away from those areas to Niger State, Kwara State, and immediately Mr President appointed the IG of Police, his first point of call was to go to Kwara State and as far as Kaiama, where those things are happening.”

He, however, said the government is doing its best to bring the menace to an end.

“But we know a lot needs to be done to curb this insecurity, and I believe with time, by God’s grace, if all hands are put on deck, it will continue to come down till we get to eliminate the insecurity situation,” he added. (Channels TV, excluding headline)

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