Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Nigerian military has met the December 31 deadline given by President Muhammadu Buhari, to defeat Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

Lai Mohammed said Nigerian troops have degraded the insurgents to the point where they have become unable to carry out ‘spectacular attacks’.

On Wednesday, during his maiden meeting with editorial heads of media houses in Lagos, the minister urged Nigerians to support the military in its quest to wipe out Boko Haram and keep the country safe,

“Today, I can report that the war against Boko Haram is largely won. “I can confidently say this because just recently, I led a group of 33 journalists from both the local and international media to the hot bed of the insurgency, that is, Maiduguri, Kondugua, Kaoure and Bama.

“Today, I can report to you that the entire 70 plus kilometres stretch from Maiduguri to Bama and all the way to Banki which leads to Cameroun and the Central African Republic are in the hands of our gallant troops.”

“Every few metres along the road; at a point along that road we were just a kilometre to Sambisa forest. They have so degraded the capacity of Boko Haram that the terrorists can no longer hold on to any territory just as they can no longer carry out any spectacular attack.”

“Unlike a war between two armies, an insurgency never ends with arms victory. Even in countries like Colombia where insurgency was supposed to have ended decades ago, attacks like this still happen.”

“It is our turn as civilians to give them our support; to realise that the war they are fighting is not their war alone, but our war, hence we must own the war.”

“Jingles are being played on national radio and television as part of the campaign in order to keep the media better informed about the war, so that they can also better inform Nigerians.”