Buhari Troubled By Situation In Northeast

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the security situation in the Northeast of the country as a great source of concern for him.

The president spoke through a message delivered on his behalf by a high powered delegation he sent to Adamawa and Borno states to commiserate with the people on the incessant suicide bombings by Boko Haram.

The delegation was led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal. He was accompanied by
the Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Mala Mai Buni, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Munguno, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,  Permanent Secretary, office of the SFG Bukar Maina and a leading member of the APC Alhaji Modi Mahmood.

In his message, President Buhari said ;

“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. The sporadic tactics used by these criminals is a sign that they are under intense pressure in the forests and in the countryside where they previously enjoyed a lot of freedom of action.

“The sheer tenacity displayed by our troops in the last three months has resulted in degrading the capacity of the enemy significantly. I am confident that the ability of the enemy to attack and seize towns and villages has been virtually neutralized.

“Having said that, our people cannot continue to be the victims of a senseless war, living in perpetual fear and deny the right to pursue their legitimate undertakings in peace. As a leader, I want to assure our citizens in
every part of Nigeria that the government is doing everything humanly possible to bring to a swift end, the suffering and losses occasioned by this insurgency. I deeply sympathize with the families who have lost loved ones.

“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. We must work hard to eradicate all forms of extremism. Citizens must join hands with security forces in the effort to detect unrepentant terrorists embedded in our neighbourhoods. We must all be watchful over any suspicious activity and report same to law enforcement agents for their prompt action."