The Nigerian Presidency has restated that cases of violence and terrorism, which have become prevalent in the country, were not unique to Nigeria.

The government’s position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday in response to an editorial by Daily Trust. Signed by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, it noted that the government’s effort to suppress the challenges had yielded results.

The statement also referred to The Economist’s recent issue that described Nigeria as “The Next Afghanistan”, adding that the situation also makes President Muhammadu Buhari worried.

The statement read in part, “The growing instability and violence in the North of Nigeria and elsewhere are unacceptable. No one, not least the Presidency, underestimates the seriousness of the situation. Every day, the President holds the victims and their families in his thoughts and prayers.

“Above all, he wishes to reassure them – and all Nigerians – that tackling the scourge of banditry and terrorism remains this government’s priority.

“Sadly, in this respect, Nigeria is not unique. Violence and terror have risen steadily across the entire African continent over the last decade.

“The Economist magazine in a recent publication wrote about ‘The Next Afghanistan’, warning the global community of the horrifying security in our neighbourhood, citing specifically the states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. So we understand the frustrations of the Daily Trust and Nigeria’s northern communities about the ongoing challenges of security, and the Buhari administration is no less worried.

“But it is only fair to say that Nigeria’s persistent and continued efforts to suppress that instability have seen results, with the terror group Boko Haram among others reduced to a shell of its former self.”