President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday disclosed that the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east region of the country are the ones operating as bandits killing innocent citizens.
The president spoke at the State House, Abuja, while receiving Mr. Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
According to Buhari, “Boko Haram has been degraded, but its members are still a nuisance around Lake Chad and surrounding islands. That is why we are cooperating with Chad, Cameroon, Niger Republic, and other countries. We are also using the Air Force quite effectively. They are bandits, and we will continue to treat them as such.”
He said the government was concentrating on repairing damaged infrastructure, rehabilitation of internally displaced persons and securing their communities so that they could return home.
The president applauded the support of the ICRC and other humanitarian organisations. “The situation of the displaced persons is very pathetic. Some children don’t know where their parents are, neither do they know where they come from.
“We are focusing on education and healthcare, along with the rebuilding of infrastructure. The agency formerly under the leadership of Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) and now headed by Major-General Paul Tarfa (rtd) is quietly making an impression. We are dedicating lots of resources to the area.”
He disclosed that great progress had equally been made in disabusing the minds of people that the insurgency was religious.
“How can you kill people, and say ‘God is great.’ It’s either you don’t know that God or you don’t know what you are talking about. God is the God of justice. And the people have understood the message well, so recruiting is now difficult for the insurgents.”
According to Maurer, Nigeria is the fifth largest country of operation of ICRC worldwide, and the organisation would continue to render humanitarian action to people affected by violence.
On the recent killing of two officials in the North-east, he said: “We were shaken by the killing of our staff, but not discouraged. Humanitarian assistance should continue, and we applaud the hospitality of Nigeria.”
The ICRC boss said the relationship would be further strengthened with Nigeria, submitting that “the more we see activity from Nigerian authorities, the easier it is for us to add here and there.”
