By Richard Elesho
Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sunday Steve Karimi, has expressed optimism that Nigeria’s current security challenges will not derail the country, insisting that insurgency, banditry and kidnapping will ultimately be defeated.
Karimi’s legal aide, Toye Ibitiye who made this known in a statement said the senator spoke in his Abuja residence when he received constituents from the seven local government areas of Kogi West who visited to mark his third year in the Senate.
He described the recent wave of violent attacks across parts of the country as a coordinated attempt by criminal elements to destabilise national cohesion, spread fear, and distract the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from its governance agenda.
According to him, local miscreants and their foreign collaborators are intent on bringing the administration to its knees. This, he noted, has informed simultaneous, sporadic, and asymmetric assaults on the country from different parts, which is precipitating scare and fear.
Despite the prevailing concerns, the senator maintained that Nigeria’s security forces continue to show resilience, recording operational gains in the ongoing fight against criminal networks.
“What we are witnessing is a deliberate effort to create fear and instability. But Nigeria has gone through difficult moments before and emerged stronger. This phase will also pass,” he said.
Karimi cited recent rescue operations, including the release of Mrs. Olaide Busayo John-Paul, younger sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, as examples of ongoing successes by security agencies.
He also referenced sustained military operations against insurgent groups and armed criminals in different parts of the country, describing them as evidence of continued pressure on hostile elements.
The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Services, commended President Tinubu for what he described as consistent backing of security agencies and ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening national security architecture.
He noted that proposals around expanded security coverage and state policing reflect the government’s recognition of the need for deeper structural responses to insecurity.
“Our security personnel continue to make sacrifices in defence of the nation. They deserve national support and cooperation as they work under difficult conditions,” he said.
Karimi also expressed confidence that victims of recent abductions, including schoolchildren and teachers in various parts of the country, would be rescued through sustained security operations.
He acknowledged the trauma faced by affected families, assuring that efforts were ongoing to secure the safe return of all abducted persons.
Earlier, leader of the visiting delegation, Abdulganiyu Salaudeen, commended Karimi’s performance in the Senate, describing his representation as responsive and impactful.
Salaudeen also praised the senator’s focus on security interventions and infrastructure development, particularly his push for the rehabilitation of the Kabba–Isanlu–Egbe–Ilorin road, which he said remains critical to the economic life of Kogi West.
