Contrary to claims by the Nigerian Military that it has degraded and flushed out Boko Haram in the North East, former Vice President and a native of one of the affected states, Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said the group is still in control of some parts of the zone.
However, he was quick to add that the Nigerian military has all it takes to end the war.
Speaking at the 11th year anniversary of American University of Nigeria, in Yola, Abubakar said more still needs to be done to restore normalcy in the zone.
“The insurgency remains. The insurgents still occupy a specific geographical space. They still retain the capacity for occasional deadly attacks. Many citizens in the zone still remain vulnerable and live in fear; and we cannot say that the problem is over until every displaced person is able to return home, to the office, to the market, to the farm, and resume normal activities.
“We cannot say it is over until we rebuild the schools, the churches, the hospitals, the markets, and the homes that had been destroyed. And we cannot say it’s over until the survivors of this insurgency receive the help they need, including psychological therapy to deal with the trauma that they have been through.
“I visited an IDP camp on Saturday and had the privilege of teaching a math class to some children. But the site of hundreds of children running around and unable to attend school was very gut wrenching. It still breaks my heart. So we cannot say the insurgency is over until all the displaced children return to their schools.
Continuing, the former Vice president and a chieftain of the ruling APC said “The commitment of the Federal government and the state governments in this zone, as well as the support of the governments of our neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, have pushed back against the violent insurgency and improved the security of citizens in the area”.
“The improvement in the security situation also means that some internally displaced persons have been able to return to their homes and try to resume normal lives. I would like to specially acknowledge the efforts of our security forces in making these possible.
