'Boko Haram's end is in sight' - APC exec lauds military

dimeji akinloye

August 17, 2015 6:36 PM

The statement said that the rejuvenated military is now taking the battle straight to the insurgents, instead of waiting for them to attack.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, August 17, said that the rejuvenated Nigerian military has the capability to defeat insurgency in the country.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of APC, in a statement issued in Lagos, said that the visible paradigm shift in the military's approach to the battle against the insurgents is yielding positive results.

It described as reassuring the fact that Service Chiefs have been visiting the theatre of the battle in the North-East, not only to pep up the fighting men and women, but also to meet with political and community leaders in the area.

''The stepped-up fight against Boko Haram has convinced Nigerians that, indeed, their military is getting its groove back, and can beat the three-month deadline set by President Muhammadu Buhari for Boko Haram to be defeated.

''The renewed battle has also shown that President Buhari was right in directing the relocation of the military's command and control centre from Abuja to Maiduguri.

''Watching the video clip of Nigerian Air Force jets pounding targets in Sambisa Forest, which is the fortress of the insurgents, over the weekend arouses great pride in the military, '' it said.

The statement commended the purposeful leadership and political will provided by President Buhari.

''The Nigerian neighbours are now ready to contribute their full quota to the battle, with the latest news indicating that Cameroon has decided to triple its initial troops contribution to the Multi-National Joint Task Force to reach 2,400 troops.

''Also, contrary to the lies being propagated by the naysayers, President Buhari's visit to the US has reset Nigeria's relations with that country to the level where much needed military hardware are now being sent to Nigeria to increase the country's military firepower,'' it said.

The statement urged the military to sustain its ongoing efforts to further degrade the fighting ability of the insurgents.

It also urged Nigerians to continue to support the troops in every way, to defeat insurgents once and for all.

The APC, in the statement, said it has always believed that the Nigerian military has what it takes to protect and defend Nigeria's territorial integrity and also to win an asymmetrical warfare like the one against Boko Haram - under the right circumstances.

''We are glad that the military is now proving us right,'' it said.

dimeji akinloye