President Muhammadu Buhari during the nationwide broadcast. Twitter
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said the degrading of Boko Haram insurgency led to the release of 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls abducted by the insurgents.
He stated that the routing of the terrorists also accounted for the release of no fewer than 16,000 other persons from their captivity.
Buhari stated this in a broadcast to mark the 19th year of Nigeria’s democracy and the 3rd anniversary of his administration in Abuja.
He stated that before the inception of his administration, Boko Haram had held large areas of land spanning several local government areas in the North-East.
The President, however, stated that the areas hitherto occupied by the insurgents had been recovered and authority of government re-established.
Buhari stated that his administration was pained over the loss of lives and properties occasioned by “the carnage of insurgency and other forms of criminality in the country”.
He assured Nigerians that the federal government would not rest until all criminal elements and their sponsors were brought to justice.
Buhari revealed that government was boosting the capacity of security agencies through recruitment of more personnel, training and procurement of modern equipment, enhancement of intelligence gathering and boosting personnel morale in the face of daunting challenges.