President Muhammadu Buhari has described the war against terrorism as a most unconventional one.
“The enemy is essentially an insane nuisance because he revels in un-cowardly attacks. He does not obey the rules of warfare, kills the defenseless including prisoners, uses children as human guns and considers the killing of anyone at all as a victory.”
The President, who spoke through Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday, at the launching of the Revised National Counter Terrorism Strategy at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja, made it clear that the team in his government should not only review the strategy, by “we must remember that to permanently win the physical battle, we must win the battle of the minds of the often impressionable young men who sign up to join Boko Haram. We must also educate the millions of other young men, through the leadership of our faiths.”
President Buhari recalled that since May 29 2015, his government had committed itself to the absolute defeat of the terrorists and to re-equipping and rebuilding the morale of the nation’s armed forces.
“The gallant men and women of our armed forces have in a few months freed many from Boko Haram-held territories and fatally degraded their fighting capacity. Our neighbours in the Lake Chad Basin area have also been tremendous allies in the various military engagements.
“But like all evil, the vestiges of their activities and warped ideology still linger. Through personal contact, the social media, and even personal contacts, capture and intimidation, men women and even children are induced, persuaded or forced to engage in acts of terrorism.
“This is why a robust and dynamic Counterterrorism strategy is crucial in the fight against terrorism, and must be constantly reviewed for relevance to contemporary challenges.”
Buhari said that the revised part of the strategy underscores the fact that terrorism has numerous iterations, adding that since their strategy is not static, “our response must be dynamic and versatile.
“We must let them know that Islam or any other religion we know, does not endorse the slaughter of any one. That anyone who kills the innocent and shouts that God is great either does not know the meaning of those words or is deranged. We must work hard to provide opportunities for these young men and women who for years have lacked education and a real chance of doing well.
“Our Social Investment Programmes and Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, our vocational and technical training for graduates and non-graduates, our Teacher Corp programme are all designed to create real opportunities for young people.”
President Buhari stressed that his government is determined to ensure that the safety and security of every single Nigerian is its priority which is why he had repeatedly ordered the law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of violence in any shape or form are arrested and made to face the law.
“The activities of armed herdsmen and host farmers, kidnappers, and criminal militants all threaten our peace, security and the stability of our nation. We will not allow anyone under any guise whether it is politics, culture or religion to violate the physical person, lives or property of other citizens. This is the oath to which I swore and I will uphold it at all costs.” [myad]
