John Alechenu and Samuel Awoyinfa
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has
described the defeat of the Boko Haram terrorist group as the best
Christmas and New Year gift to Nigeria.
He noted that the sacrifice of the Armed
Forces was a gift to a nation that had been under tremendous stress on
account of the deadly activities of the insurgents.
Atiku, who is also a chieftain of the
All Progressives Congress, said this in a statement by his Media Office
in Abuja on Tuesday.
He stated that the North-East
geopolitical zone could rejoin the nation’s development process, which
it had been denied by the over seven-year insurgency.
The former Vice-President commended the
officers and men of the Nigerian Army for the invasion and sacking of
Camp Zero, the last Boko Haram stronghold in the Sambisa Forest.
He described the success of the soldiers
as “a military feat worth celebrating,” saying the Army had made good
its promise to finally defeat the terrorists and bring peace to the
North-East.
The statement partly read, “This
spectacular victory is the result of committed and focused leadership of
President Muhammadu Buhari, the military commanders at the battlefront,
the intelligence agencies and the unity of purpose exhibited by the
nation’s military chiefs to rid the country of the Boko Haram menace.
“He also thanked the international
community and close partners of Nigeria in the anti-terror war. The
final routing at Sambisa Forest hopefully should herald the end of
terrorism in the country.”
The APC chieftain also noted that the
victory presented the people and government of Nigeria as well as the
country’s international partners with the challenge of consolidating the
peace by joining hands for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and
re-development of the North-East.
Also, the National Council of Muslim
Youth Organisations has lauded the efforts of Buhari and the military
for dislodging the Boko Haram insurgents from the Sambisa Forest.
The group described the feat as the best
thing that should happen, taking into consideration the violence and
havoc done to the country by the sect.
This commendation was contained in a
statement by the National President of the association, Alhaji Kamalddin
Akintunde, in Abeokuta, on Tuesday, a copy of which was made available
to one of our correspondents.
The statement read in part, “We commend
the military for its doggedness, ruggedness and sense of patriotism
exhibited in combating insurgency in the country.
“The feat has rekindled hope and life of
citizens living in the affected region, just as it has restored
confidence in the country’s leadership.
“We commend President Muhammadu Buhari
for his commitment to the realisation of the feat. It is a resounding
success and cardinal achievement of his administration.”
The group urged the military not to
relent on the anti-terrorism war, noting that the cooperation,
collaboration and networking among stakeholders and inter- military
agencies were important in the onslaught against terrorism.
The group was optimistic that with the
conquest of the Sambisa Forest by the military, more of the Chibok girls
would soon regain their freedom and safely reunite with their families.
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