President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday lamented the fact that Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram, welcomed German President, Joachim Gauck, into the country with the bomb attacks at the Dikwa Internally Displaced Persons camp, in Borno, on Wednesday.
58 people were reported to have been killed from that attack while 78 others sustained serious injuries.
Buhari however, informed Guack, that his administration had succeeded in stopping the insurgents from attacking military installations and taking over towns.
Speaking at a joint press conference after their closed-door meeting, President Buhari reiterated his standpoint that Boko Haram no longer controls any local government in Nigeria, while stressing that the war against the insurgents couldn’t be won by the last administration, owing to the diversion of funds meant for arms procurement.
He said: “It is a pity Boko Haram welcomed you with explosions in Maiduguri that took so many lives, but I have attempted to explain in so many fora that Boko Haram is not what it used to be.
“While they were firmly holding 14 out of 774 local governments when we came in, they are not holding any local government now.
“What they have resorted to is using improvised explosive devices to cause maximum casualties on soft targets as they did yesterday (Wednesday).
“But for them to organise conventional attacks on military, police installations and take hold of towns, I think they are not able to do that. They send groups to kill vulnerable targets.”
Speaking through an interpreter, President Guack announced Europe’s support of $50m for the African Union’s war against terrorism.
“You (Buhari) personally have made it clear that it is in a determined way that you intend to fight Boko Haram and its methods that deeply violate the principles of humanity.
“We intend to support you because we believe that it is a very good approach that you have chosen and that is something; we would make available financial support and that approach consists of joining forces with neighbouring countries to fight Boko Haram together.”
“You have already taken steps in that direction as members of the African Union. We, as Europe, will support that initiative with $50m.”
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