President Goodluck Jonathan said he
underestimated Boko Haram Islamists who
have overrun swathes of the country’s
northeast and defended an election
postponement in an interview published
Sunday.
Read what he said after the cut:
“Probably at the beginning, we, and I
mean myself and the team, we
underrated the capacity of Boko
Haram,” Jonathan said in an interview
with influential newspaper ThisDay.
He said that the military has recently
acquired more arms and ammunition
to do battle with the Islamists, vowing
that their suppression and the capture
of the group’s leader were near.
“God willing, we will catch
(Abubakar) Shekau before the
elections,” he said.
Asked why six more weeks would
make a difference in the years-long
conflict that has killed more than
13,000 people, Jonathan said the
military could make reasonable
progress in that time.
“We are not saying we must finish
Boko Haram to conduct elections, but
we should get to a point where they
will not cause havoc if they make an
attempt,” he said in the interview.
“My belief is that by 28th of next
month, when the elections will be
conducted, Boko Haram may not even
be in a position to attack any town,
God willing.”
Nigeria‘s military authorities on Saturday
claimed to have recaptured the fishing town
of Baga from the Islamists, more than a
month after it was overrun in what is feared
to be the worst massacre of the six-year
insurgency.
There was no independent corroboration of
the claim, as thousands of Baga residents
had fled the town after Boko Haram attacked
on January 3 and hundreds, if not more,
were killed in the following days.
Over one million people have been left
homeless since 2009 as the rebels try to
carve out an Islamic state in northeastern
Nigeria.
The Islamists have recently extended their
violent campaign into nations neighbouring
Nigeria‘s northeast as regional forces pursue
them.
underestimated Boko Haram Islamists who
have overrun swathes of the country’s
northeast and defended an election
postponement in an interview published
Sunday.
Read what he said after the cut:
“Probably at the beginning, we, and I
mean myself and the team, we
underrated the capacity of Boko
Haram,” Jonathan said in an interview
with influential newspaper ThisDay.
He said that the military has recently
acquired more arms and ammunition
to do battle with the Islamists, vowing
that their suppression and the capture
of the group’s leader were near.
“God willing, we will catch
(Abubakar) Shekau before the
elections,” he said.
Asked why six more weeks would
make a difference in the years-long
conflict that has killed more than
13,000 people, Jonathan said the
military could make reasonable
progress in that time.
“We are not saying we must finish
Boko Haram to conduct elections, but
we should get to a point where they
will not cause havoc if they make an
attempt,” he said in the interview.
“My belief is that by 28th of next
month, when the elections will be
conducted, Boko Haram may not even
be in a position to attack any town,
God willing.”
Nigeria‘s military authorities on Saturday
claimed to have recaptured the fishing town
of Baga from the Islamists, more than a
month after it was overrun in what is feared
to be the worst massacre of the six-year
insurgency.
There was no independent corroboration of
the claim, as thousands of Baga residents
had fled the town after Boko Haram attacked
on January 3 and hundreds, if not more,
were killed in the following days.
Over one million people have been left
homeless since 2009 as the rebels try to
carve out an Islamic state in northeastern
Nigeria.
The Islamists have recently extended their
violent campaign into nations neighbouring
Nigeria‘s northeast as regional forces pursue
them.
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NA NOW U SABI SAY U MADE A MISTAKE
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