We cant defeat Boko Haram by December, Nigeria admits

(Nigeria) Despite advances recorded by Nigerian military in the fight against insurgency, the Centre for Crisis Communication, CCC, has said that the December 2015 deadline for the defeat of Boko Haram insurgents was not feasible.

Executive Secretary of CCC, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (retd), who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, said that “the time line on when to stop the insurgents from activating sleeper cells and detonating bombs into soft targets in any part of the country, especially in the frontline states is therefore, no tenable in the current efforts by the armed forces of Nigeria.

Agreeing that it might not be wrong to set targets for military operations as was done by President Muhammadu Buhari when he tasked the military to wrap up the fight against Boko Haram by December 2015, “it must also be stated that this target date might be unrealistic. This submission is predicated on the fact that asymmetric warfare which the Boko Haram is prosecuting against the Nigeria is not such that can be easily be stamped out by the Armed Forces.”

Quoting the just concluded United Nations General Assembly, Anas said “that terrorism as an ideology is largely emotive because it has to do with the mind. Force has never been known to combat, in a precise manner, any issue that has to do with the mind.”

The Centre therefore urged Nigerians not to see the December target as sacrosanct date when all suicide bombings will end.

“Similarly, we should also not trade blame with the military over the issue. Nigerians should rather continue to cooperate with the government and support the security forces to ensure that the enemies do not continue to have an opportunity to unleash terror in our country.”

On the millions already displaced by the insurgency especially in the north eastern [parts of the country, the Centre expressed concern about their plight, which it described as precarious and needing urgent attention.

“The Centre is strongly suggesting the establishment of a lead government agency that will develop a Marshall plan for the rehabilitation of all the displaced people in the North East.

“This could also be in the form of Inter- Ministerial Plan with an administrative office with a similar scope as the Presidential Amnesty Programme for the Niger Delta Youths.

“This will oversee the data capturing, profiling and rehabilitation of all the displaced people in the frontline states and other affected states of Nigeria. The plan will identify the priority areas of needs, skills and challenges with a view to settling them productively to avoid recourse to crimes or antisocial behaviour.”