We’ll soon defeat Boko Haram, says Buhari

Boko Haram, which allied itself with the Islamic State terror group in 2014, has waged an guerrilla-style insurrection across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger to varying degrees in the past six years.

He added, “The troops are now doing clearance operations in the general area”.

“The bodies of the two gallant soldiers have been evacuated, to the rear, while the other two wounded soldiers have also been evacuated and are receiving treatment at the military hospital”, the statement said.

He further said the military formation also lost a Mowag Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) at the same location.

Since January Human Rights Watch has been collecting evidence from Nigerian refugees who fled a Boko Haram massacre in the village of Baga near Lake Chad that they say amounts to “crimes against humanity” perpetrated by the insurant militants.

The town is located around 90 kilometres (56 miles) east of Borno state capital Maiduguri.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday reaffirmed his conviction that the end of the Boko Haram insurgency is in sight with the new vigour the war against terrorism is being prosecuted by Nigeria and her allies.

The wave of violence since the inauguration has claimed more than 1,000 lives, dealing a setback to a four-country offensive launched in February that had chalked up a number of victories against the jihadists.

The President, however said, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, that Nigeria and Chad must be prepared to make more sacrifices to end the scourge of Boko Haram since they were at the “very heart of the insurgency”.