Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina says Boko Haram terrorists are much weaker today than they were before the coming of his principal, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015.
Mr Buhari whom Boko Haram nominated as one of its mediators in 2012 to negotiate with the then federal government on ceasefire had vowed to crush the terrorists group if elected president within three months in office.
When he took over from his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, he ordered the military central command to relocate to Maiduguri, Borno State, one of the hotbeds of the terrorists, and wipe them out.
His administration has severally claimed to have decimated the terrorist group which has killed thousands and displaced millions mostly in the North-East region.
After being re-elected for a second term in office, the president expressed surprise that Boko Haram was still existing despite claims to the contrary by officials of his government. Representatives of Borno State claim the terrorist group is still in charge of some Nigerian territories.
Listing out the achievements of the military since Buhari took over the mantle of leadership yesterday, Mr Adesina said the terrorist group is now weaker than it used to be before the coming of his principal.
The presidential spokesman in his article to commemorate the Armed Force Remembrance Day cited the recent comments of Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, to buttress his point.
Adesina wrote, “Boko Haram is much weaker today than in 2015, as attested to by the Governor of Borno State on December 6, 2020:
“From state-wide statistics on affairs in the 27 Local Government Areas since 2011, the fact is that despite the recent happenings in Borno State, the security situation in Borno State and, indeed, that of the entire North East sub-region is still far better under Buhari, and this is based on records.
“For instance, unlike the years before Buhari when a number of local governments were no-go-areas, we now have indigenes safely back to Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Dikwa, Ngala, Monguno, Kukawa, Damboa, Konduga, Mafa and led by our traditional leaders, which no one could have visited not to talk of living there. Our Emirs were all in exile. Today, Bama is coming back to life and so is Askira-Uba, Damboa, Gwoza and others. Life is even returning to Baga. This was impossible before Buhari.
“In fact, it was not possible to move few kilometres out of Maiduguri. Insurgents were so bold to attack and take over military facilities, like the Army Barracks at Monguno, Bama, Giwa Barrack and Multinational Joint Task Force Headquarters at Baga, to mention just a few. There were daily bomb blast attacks in many parts of Maiduguri, the most populated part of the state but all these have stopped under President Buhari. These are the records and no one can dispute them,” the Borno helmsman was quoted as saying.
Insecurity nationwide has continued to worsen under Buhari prompting critics to demand the removal of service chiefs for replacement. The Nigerian Senate also made the demand thrice but the president who paid deaf ears to their demands have promised to rejig the security architecture this year with no specific date in sight.
