Boko Haram Will Be Crushed By December, But Their Desperate Acts May Last Longer – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says desperate actions like detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices will take a longer time to eradicate, even as his administration’s optimism continues to grow that Boko Haram will be crushed by December.

Buhari said this yesterday in his message delivered at hospitals, palaces and Government Houses of Adamawa and Borno States by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who led a Federal Government delegation to condole with their governments and people over the increased activities of Boko Haram terrorists.

The president was also quoted to have said that even when all displaced communities were about to be returned to their town and villages, there would still remain “vital tests and challenges”.

Buhari, in his message, said all Nigerians must work hard to eradicate all forms of extremism and join hands with security forces in detecting unrepentant terrorists embedded in their neighbourhoods.

“As I said a few times in the past, desperate actions such as the detonation of IEDs will take a longer time to eradicate even as our optimism continues to grow that Boko Haram as a fighting force will be crushed by the year’s end.

After that, we hope all displaced communities will be returned to their towns and villages. But even when this is about to happen, there will still remain vital tests and challenges.

Buhari, appealed to local populations to share in the responsibility for security in their surroundings, directed all communities in the country to revert to old practices by which new arrivals in their neighbourhoods were taken note of by local chiefs and security agencies, saying these practices worked well in past in securing neighbourhoods and local communities.

Commiserating with victims’ families and the inpatients in the hospitals visited by the delegation on his behalf, the president assured of the support and the determination of his administration to end the menace of the Boko Haram terrorists by the year’s end.

“The security situation in the North East remains a great source of concern for me. Although there are clear indications that the military is recording great successes in the theatre of operations, the enemy has been able to carry out his murderous campaign by attacking soft targets using Improvised Explosive Devices. His intention is to create widespread fear amongst the civilian population since he cannot subdue our armed forces,” Buhari further stated.