The Presidency has said that the terrorist group, Biko Haram has been degraded, lost the central command and are now in splinters due to the efforts of the Nigerian troop under the new leadership.
It however, assured that the troops are being careful about certain locations with the hope not to harm the Chibok girls taken hostage by the terrorist group.
While reacting in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja against the criticism that President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government has not done enough to put an end to insurgency as promised during the campaign in the last 100 days, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu, revealed that Sambissa forest is being degraded right now, adding that the bombings are being done in a careful manner to avoid certain locations of interest as far as Chibok girls are concerned.
According to the President’s spokesman, Sambissa forest is under observation 24 hours in case somebody decide to move those girls from point A to point B and if there is any movement that is suspicious, there are drones, unmanned aircrafts that fly around the place at night and during the day.
He said: “To be fair to President Buhari, did he ever say he will bring back the girls on the second day of his administration? What he has always said is that we don’t even know where the girls are and that we need to go in there and get the intelligence and situation of things and then act. Without meaning to endanger what is left of those girls, you know that the Sambissa forest is being degraded right now.
“In the last few days, you even saw the Chief of Army Staff leading the troops and I am aware that in the last few weeks, very interesting pictures have been shown to the President on the basis of which we will say to Nigerians, don’t lose hope on the Chibok girls. I am not saying they have been found or that they have been seen. But it is not yet time for Nigerians to say we have lost them.”
While reacting to the three months deadline given to the military to end Boko Haral insurgency in the country, Shehu said: “From my conversation with these commanders, what they are saying to themselves is that they are not going to wait for three months, but do their best to beat the target given by the President.
“So, there is so much going on and I can assure you that the spirit is very high. The Army Chief was there with the soldiers for about nine days. That is leadership because you see him leading the soldiers from the front. If the Chief himself is there, who are you to drop your gun? a lot is happening and Boko Haram has been Degraded, they have lost central command and are now in splinters.
“What you have now is bits and pieces carrying out disractive action because they don’t want to go down alone. So, they are looking for very soft targets such as churches, mosques, markets. The Airforce is clearing this place for the ground troops to move in. They are looking for bomb making structures and moving convoy of these insurgents. But they are being careful about certain locations with the hope not to harm these Chibok girls in they are in those locations.”
