Bashir Ahmad Slams Arise TV Anchor, Ayo Mairo-Ese Over Comments on Buhari’s Anti-Terrorism Record
Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has fired back at Arise TV anchor Ayo Mairo-Ese after she claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari did little or nothing to combat terrorism during his administration.
Speaking on a recent TV segment, Ayo said the previous government “almost didn’t care about what was going on” and “did nothing with regards to pushing back on terrorism.”
Her statement didn’t sit well with Ahmad, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse her of “deliberate manipulation” and “journalistic amnesia.”
In a lengthy post, Ahmad argued that Buhari’s administration made major gains in the fight against Boko Haram, recalling that when Buhari assumed office in 2015, 17 out of 27 local government areas in Borno State were under insurgent control. He said within two years, those territories were reclaimed, displaced communities returned, and life gradually resumed in affected areas.
Ahmad also highlighted that under Buhari, markets reopened, schools resumed, and curfews were lifted in parts of the North ravaged by insecurity. He added that even Abuja, once gripped by fear, regained normalcy after years of terrorist attacks.
Concluding his post, Ahmad urged Ayo to “remember that truth is not something you bend to fit a headline,” insisting that Buhari’s efforts in reclaiming Nigeria from terrorism “are undeniable and recorded in the memory of millions who lived through it.”
