Nigerian Minister Claims Boko Haram ‘Largely’ Defeated

Boko Haram Islamic extremists struck the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri for the first time in months Monday with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombers, witnesses said.

President Muhammadu Buhari charged the the military to crush insurgency in the country by December 2015, however not only did he recently declare that the deadline is open to change, such a victory will remain far-fetched until Nigeria begins to consider other solutions in the interest of peace, security and public policy.

Security agents did not give a number of deaths but resident Musa Abdukadir said he had counted over 50 bodies in the hospital after the attack and that doctors had told him more bodies had been taken to two different hospitals. The movement referred to the kidnapping of over 300 schoolgirls by Boko Haram, with the incident dominating headlines. “Boko Haram as an organised fighting force, I assure you, that we have dealt with them”, said the president.

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has described Sunday and Monday’s Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Adamawa States as disheartening and an indictment on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.

Maiduguri has become a theatre of explosions in the past few days as Boko Haram insurgents ferried several explosives into the city.

Hours later, on Monday morning, a teenage female suicide bomber killed one person and wounded seven others in an attack on a checkpoint in the Maiduguri suburb of Kushari, authorities said.

“The two female bombers killed at least 30 people in the twin blasts in the market”, Maina Ularamu, a community leader and former chairman of Madagali local government, told AFP.

A rocket-propelled grenade then exploded, setting alight grass-thatched huts, and a second lady blew herself up, in accordance with Isa. Among these killed was the village chief and 10 of his youngsters, in line with residents Ahmed Bala and Umar Ibrahim.

Boko Haram has been warring against the Nigerian government for nearly six years, killing over 20,000 people in acts of terror such as village raids, shootings and suicide bombings.

Nigeria’s information minister, Lai Mohammed, said the Nigerian government had greatly reduced Boko Haram’s capacity to attack and was on its last week.

“The suicide attacks were carried out by young suicide bombers who managed to make their way into the city during the gun battle between soldiers and Boko Haram gunmen last night”. Neighbouring countries joined an offensive against the group this year and the conflict spilled across their borders, displacing tens of thousands of people.

“Boko Haram has been largely defeated”.