The federal government Wednesday said the terrorists who attacked a military base in Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State suffered heavy casualties when they were repelled.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this while reacting to a question on insecurity after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Eleven soldiers were reportedly killed and several others injured in the attack on Tuesday.
Mohammed, who said the government was not overwhelmed by insecurities across the country contrary to public perception, stressed that not every success of the military in its war against terrorism was in the media space.
He blamed the media for providing oxygen for terrorists by publishing their activities on the front page of every newspaper.
“This is where I think we also seek your support in understanding the mentality of terrorists that even when they are dying, they will look for the soft underbelly that will keep them relevant and enable them to get more money from their sponsors, more support from their sponsors.
“….But clearly the last three, four, five days, the military recorded massive victories against terrorists and bandits, either in the Northeast or in the Kaduna, Niger axis.”
The minister equally heaped blame on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for laying the foundation for hunger currently being experienced by Nigerians while reacting to another question on the worsening economic issue in the country.
He said despite the various challenges, the current administration was doing everything within its power to address the situation.
