Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Nigerian Army has largely met the December deadline stipulated by President Buhari, for the war against Boko Haram.
Mohammed said while the menace of Boko Haram cannot be stopped overnight, Nigerian troops have made significant progress in the efforts to rid the country of terrorism.
He said the insurgents have been decimated and put on the run, hence their recent attacks of soft targets: motor parks, entertainment centres, houses of worship, etc.
At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Mohammed said “winning the war against insurgency is about sufficiently degrading the insurgents’ capacity for action. This the military has substantially done. The rest is mop-up actions.”
Segun Adeyemi, spokesperson to the Minister of Information and Culture, quoted to his principal to have said: “The military has largely met the deadline issued by the President, and would have done so totally by December. The question, therefore, is no longer whether the military will be able to meet the December deadline, it is about how to give the military all the support it
requires to continue to keep our country safe from the activities of the terrorists.”
“Make no mistake about it, this will not stop overnight. It will gradually taper off. That is the way it happens anywhere such a war has been fought. It is also important to situate the deadline by the President in its necessary context.”
“Insurgency is an asymmetrical warfare, not a ‘shooting war’ between two Armies. No truce or armistice is ever signed to end such war. The implication is that while Boko Haram can no longer execute spectacular attacks, hold territories, declare a Caliphate and even collect taxes, lone wolf attacks – which are like the death pangs of a dying horse – will continue for some time and then fizzle out. This is the absolute truth,” he said.
“Let me say, without mincing words, that all of us, Nigerians, owe a debt of gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their patriotism, sacrifice and service. I say this because what I saw during my trip to Maiduguri, Konduga, Kaure and Bama last Saturday left me, and indeed all members of my entourage, in awe of the commitment and loyalty of the military to our country’s peace and unity.”
“Gentlemen, what is missing now in the war against terrorism is the civilian component, the need for all Nigerians to support our gallant men and women in uniform, and the need for them to own the war. This is not a war for the military alone, it is a war for all Nigerians.”
“On our part, this Ministry will soon initiate a process to bridge the gap between the military and the media, and the structure will include top military and intelligence officials as well as senior journalists. The essence is to ensure a smoother information flow,
with a view to keeping the media better informed so they can in turnbetter inform Nigerians about the war that is now largely won.
“We also plan to use the media to sensitize Nigerians to be more security conscious, especially now that the Christmas and New Year festivities are approaching,” he added.
