Lai Muhammed
Recent attacks on the camps of internally displaced persons, IDPs and some communities are not indications of a rebound of the activities of Boko Haram, the dreaded insurgent group operating mainly in the northeastern part of Nigeria. Rather, they are signs that the days of the terror group are coming to an end having been decimated by the military. Lai Mohammed, minister of information stated this in Abuja early today at a press conference. He, therefore, frowned at comments by some persons to the effect that the attacks were indications that the sect rather than being defeated has regained strength thus calling to question efforts of the military.
The minister said what is happening is that the country has entered into a new phase in the war on terror whereby the militant group will, through its members that have penetrated the civilian community, will undertake attacks in an uncoordinated manner. While admitting that such could bring panic to the vulnerable communities, Mohammed said it was not proper for commentators to conclude that the terror organization has regained its strength, knowing that the group thrives on propaganda. He admonished such commentators to realize that the group was merely fighting a rear guard battle.
He said, ”Activities during this period are often carried out within the population and against soft targets or vulnerable groups. There is often apprehension in the community that terrorism is getting worse, even though, in reality, the insurgency has been weakened as a cohesive terror force. This is the current phase of insurgency in the country.” In other to impress it on the pressmen, Mohammed said, “Gentlemen, there is no resurgence of Boko Haram. The terrorists remain massively degraded and largely defeated.” The minister concluded “”Boko Haram has been dislodged from their occupied territories; thousands of their captives have been set free; their capacity to operate as a troop moving in a convoy of vehicles and motor cycles to launch attacks on communities and military formations has been neutralized. In essence, the insurgents have been effectively denied territory or sanctuary and are now in disarray. Scattered, demoralized and hungry, they have resorted to terror tactics available to a degraded and defeated insurgent group.”
He was speaking in the background of recent bloody attacks on IDPs and other areas at a time the military authorities and the federal government say the insurgent group has been defeated. Recently operatives of the group sacked a camp in Maiduguri, among other locations, killing scores of people. But the fear is that the casualties keep rising, and people in the camps, for whom hope had been sold that they will soon return to their homestead, are once again threatened that there is no haven for them.
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