Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that terrorist sect, Boko Haram is currently in a confused state.
Mohammed
said further that the recent attacks carried out by the sect in Borno
State were not an indication that it had regained power.
“During
the immediate period after an insurgency has been degraded, the fact
that terrorists are dispersed into the community is often followed by an
upsurge of terror attacks in the form of suicide bombing and sabotage
of critical facilities,” the minister said on Tuesday, February 16, 2016, during a press conference in Abuja.
“Activities
during these period are often carried out within population and against
soft targets or vulnerable groups. There is often apprehension in the
community that terrorism is getting worse, even though, in reality,
insurgency has been weakened as a cohesive terror force. This is the
current phase of insurgency in the country.
“Many
commentators have latched on to these attacks to infer a resurgence of
Boko Haram, while some have even made outrageous statements regarding
the territories controlled by Boko Haram. Fortunately, no less a
personality than the President, strongly backed by the Governors of
Borno and Yobe, has debunked such unsubstantiated claims.
“Gentlemen,
there is no resurgence of Boko Haram. The terrorists remain massively
degraded and largely defeated. The recent string of attacks is not an
indication that Boko Haram is bouncing back.
“We
want to appeal to all not to say or do anything that will demoralize
our gallant men and women in uniform, who are daily fighting – and
sometimes paying the supreme price – so that we can all be safe.
“Having
travelled to the theatre of operations myself, I have seen the huge
sacrifices of our military. They deserve nothing but our undiluted
support. This is the best form of appreciation we can show them at this
time. Anything else is counter-productive. Commendation, not
condemnation. Support, not second guessing. That’s what we owe the
gallant troops.
“Boko Haram has been
dislodged from their occupied territories; thousands of their captives
have been set free; their capacity to operate as a troop moving in
convoy of vehicles and motor cycles to launch attacks on communities and
military formations has been neutralized. In essence, the insurgents
have been effectively denied territory or sanctuary and are now in
disarray.
“Scattered, demoralized and
hungry, they have resorted to terror tactics available to a degraded and
defeated insurgent group. The fact that they operate in a few local
governments does not equate to holding and controlling territories. We
must make that distinction,” he added.
Mohammed’s comments come after the terrorists killed 30 people in an attack on two Borno State communities over the weekend.
