Boko Haram: FG claims over Dec deadline confusing – Yakasai

Tanko Yakasssai
Gbenro Adeoye
Leader of the Northern Elders Council, Alhaji Tanko Yakasssai, has described Federal Government’s position on the state of the war against Boko Haram insurgency ahead of the December deadline given to the military as confusing.
Yakasai, in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, said the Federal Government had been giving the public contrasting information on the issue, saying that the military had met its deadline and at the same time warning the public to be wary of public places.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in August given the military till December to crush Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
However, Yakasai said that while the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had been saying one thing, the military had been saying another.
He said, “Only recently, the government released a statement warning Nigerians that Boko Haram was changing its strategy and would be targeting public places like churches, mosques, wedding ceremonies.
“If that is the case, I think it is an admission by the government that Boko Haram is still around. The directive given by the President is that the military should crush Boko Haram by the end of the year. We still have five to six days. I wouldn’t say the government would be able to accomplish his commitment
“Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as the spokesman for the government, says government has finished with Boko Haram. At the same time, the government he represents is warning people that the group will come out with a new strategy targeting churches, mosques and so on. The statement made by the minister leaves room for doubts. I don’t know which one to believe, and I’m sure other Nigerians don’t also know what to believe.”
Speaking about the clash between the military and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as the Shiite Movement, Yakasai called for caution in the handling of the issue.
He warned that Nigeria would be in a big crisis should the group choose to toe the path of violence.
He, however, dismissed calls by some people that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. -Gen. Tukur Buratai, should be sacked by the President.
He said, “The matter should be handled with utmost care. It is not because I believe what the Shiites did was right, but I believe that now that we are trying to see the end of insurgency, we should not see the emergence of something similar to Boko Haram in a different form.
“The Shiites are more in number in Nigeria and more widespread than members of the Boko Haram. If the group should resort to violence, it will make things more difficult for Nigerians. So I appeal to the government and the military to handle the problem with care.
“But I don’t think that Buratai should be blamed, if he as chief of army staff had to come out to call the leader of the Shiite group on the phone, to plead with him to speak to his people to make way for the military to pass, what else can anybody ask for? I think he did his best.”

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