Buhari Says Boko Haram “Defeated”

Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has said that the militant Islamic group Boko Haram had been “substantially defeated and degraded to the extent that they were only daring soft targets”.

The comments came during a speech he made at the State House in Abuja for the formal launch of the 2020 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration Emblem and Appeal Fund.

Buhari reiterated the importance of staying vigilant against attacks on “soft targets”, those against unarmed civilians and not military installations.

The president further urged leaders to take urgent steps to settle the entitlements and welfare packages designed for the dependents of those who lost their lives battling Boko Haram, whilst underlining the fact that Nigeria’s peace was not negotiable.

“The unfortunate cost of the war against the insurgency and other internal security operations is the loss of lives of some of our officers and men in the Armed Forces.  These very sad occurrences create deep wounds to loved ones”, he said.

Boko Haram are a militant Islamic group operating out of West Africa since their inception in 2002.  They gained international notoriety in 2014 when they kidnapped 276 girls from their school in Chibok, northern Nigeria, forcing them to convert to Islam.