Boko Haram’s fighting capacity will wane by December, Buhari vows again

Wednesday, October 14, 2015 11:19 pm

General Rodriguez and President Buhari in Aso Villa today

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said that he remained confident that Boko Haram’s capacity to attack, seize, ravage and hold any Nigerian territory will end by the end of this year.

He spoke at an audience with the Commander of United States Africa Command, General David Rodriguez, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that with greater support from his administration in terms of improved training, equipment, logistics and welfare, the Nigerian Armed Forces were now well positioned to meet the December deadline which they have been given to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

Buhari seized the opportunity of General Rodriquez’s visit to restate his appreciation of the United States’ support for Nigeria’s efforts to overcome terrorism and insurgency.

He said: “We must thank the United States of America for sending training teams and equipment to us. The positive results of our collaboration are evident.

“Structured attacks by the insurgents have reduced and by the end of the year, we should see the final routing of Boko Haram as an organized fighting force, ” the President said.

President Buhari appealed, however, for greater cooperation from the United States in securing the Gulf of Guinea through which stolen Nigerian crude oil is shipped abroad.