The Governor of Borno, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, on Monday commended the Nigerian military for the successes recorded so far in the war against Boko Haram.
The commendation comes amid latest claims by the military authorities that the insurgency has been total crushed.
Boko Haram, which is seeking the enthronement of a strict Islamic code in Nigeria, launched its deadly insurgency in 2009, killing thousands of people and leaving the economy of Nigeria’s northeast in ruins.
Shettima, who was speaking in Maiduguri at the inauguration of a special town hall meeting for military and security agencies in the northeast, hailed the military for demonstrating high patriotism and professionalism.
He said that the military made huge sacrifices to facilitate the restoration of peace and security in the northeast.
Shettima noted that the military had successfully defeated and over-ran the insurgents in the past few weeks.
He said that the military had through its counter-insurgency campaign, facilitated a return to normalcy and the resurgence of social and economic development in the northeast.
“In the past three years, Boko Haram insurgents took over 20 Local Government Areas of Borno State. Maiduguri faced serious threats. We were in a state of siege.
“Thousands of people were killed, maimed and displaced, due to the insurgency.
“The ugly situation changed for the better because of the hard work and commitment of our gallant troops,’’ he stated.
According to him, Boko Haram, having been decimated, resorted to suicide bombing, targeting soft targets, “a clear sign of cowardice and weakness on their part”.
The governor noted that the successes recorded in the war against the insurgents were made under military commanders of southern Nigeria extraction.
Shettima called on Nigerians to complement the efforts of the military in the restoration of peace by living harmoniously, irrespective of ethnic or religious differences.
He also lauded the Federal Government for its efforts in ending the war as well as its initiative in addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency.
The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the meeting was designed to enable the government to interact with the populace.
Mohammed said that the Federal Government accorded priority to ending the insurgency and boosting security in the country.
He commended the troops for their gallantry and for defeating the terrorists.
The Ministers of Defence and Interior, Mannir Dan-Ali and Abdulrahman Dambazau as well as the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmad, were at the meeting.
Also in attendance were members of some states houses of assemblies, emirs and developments organizations, drawn from six states.
