President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja, said with the narrowing of the recruitment base of insurgents and the renewed onslaught on Boko Haram by the Nigerian Army, the days of the terror group were numbered.
Buhari who made this remark while receiving letter of credence from Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Nigeria, Most Rev. Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, at the State House, said the terror group had lost host of its initial strongholds, which according to him, had forced it into a steady retreat that would eventually culminate in its total end.
The president berated the group, saying: “You can’t indoctrinate people who are below the age of 14 years and blow up churches, mosques, markets and you keep shouting God is great.”
He added: “It is either you don’t know what you are saying, or you simply don’t care or believe what you are saying. It is part of our success story that Boko Haram is finding it more difficult to recruit people. The Nigerian Army is also not making it easy for them to grow, with more intelligence, orientation and regular, measured onslaught on their camps.’’
According to him, the ongoing effort to dismember the terror group, and render it completely powerless will be intensified as he described the Catholic Church as a strong partner in the development of Nigeria, noting that the church had made very significant contributions to the development of educational and health system of the country.
On corruption, the president also stated that the fight against the culture of pilfering public funds would be sustained as he advocated a new orientation through the repositioning of the nation’s entire educational system, adding that African Union (AU) had also keyed into the fight against corruption.
“I am pleased that the African Union has spoken out boldly against corruption and appreciated the work that we are doing here,’’ Buhari stated.
Responding, Filipazzi said Pope Francis had taken a keen interest in the fight against terrorism, corruption and reviving of the Nigerian economy.
“Mr President, the Holy Father, sends his warm greetings and he is keen to denounce corruption everywhere,’’ he stated.
The cleric also disclosed how he had travelled to the North-east and was pleased with the efforts of the Nigerian Army in dismantling the insurgents and recovering some of the earlier lost grounds.
The president also received letters of credence from the Ambassador of Niger to Nigeria, Mr. Alat Mogaskia, as well as the High Commissioner of Ghana, Alhaji Rashid Bawa.
