As stated by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Monday, the Federal Government has achieved its desired aim in ridding the North Eastern part of Nigeria of Boko Haram insurgents.
The Information Minister stated this while addressing reporters in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.
“For anybody to know and appreciate what the military has done, cast your mind back to this time last year (2014), when 20 out of 27 local governments in Borno State were in the firm control of Boko Haram and six local governments in Yobe State and four in Adamawa State were in their control, till today when you probably have one or two local governments where they are still trying to operate from.
“That will give you an idea as to what the military has achieved in the last couple of months. The Army has been able to decimate them as they have been decapitated and lack the capacity to launch the kind of attacks they used to launch before,” Mohammed stated.
The Minister also stated the recent pockets of violence carried out by the sect were indications that the terrorist group was living in its last days.
“When we say that the Boko Haram has been largely defeated, we are actually vindicated by the fact that even what happened till Christmas is the kind of thing you expect from any insurgency, because they know they are on their way out.
“Boko Haram insurgency, like any insurgency, is not a conventional war. We are not saying that by December 31, there will be no more attacks, bombings or suicides; that is the nature of insurgency. It is for us in Nigeria today as civilians to also own the war and supply the missing link,” he stated.
The minister added that the Federal Government believes that the deadline of ending the insurgency in the disturbed northeast has been met.
Muhammadu Buhari upon assumption as president, gave the military three months to crush the insurgents. This was later extended to the end of the year.