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UK Pledges Support For Buhari In Fight Against Boko Haram

Hours after the presidential inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the UK Foreign Secretary, Mr Philip Hammond, says his country stands ready and willing to … Continue reading UK Pledges Support For Buhari In Fight Against Boko Haram


UK UK Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond Pledges Support for BuhariHours after the presidential inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the UK Foreign Secretary, Mr Philip Hammond, says his country stands ready and willing to help in the fight against the Boko Haram.

The terrorist group has carried out series of attacks on communities in Nigeria’s north-east and is highly suspected to have carried out a twin blast in Borno State early Friday morning.

In an interview with Channels Television in Abuja, the Foreign Secretary said the UK is willing to help restructure and train Nigeria’s security personnel and also provide additional intelligence and surveillance capability for Nigeria’s security forces.

He also said the UK would also work with the new administration on its economic programme.

Delivering his inaugural speech, President Buhari listed the Boko Haram as one of the challenges confronting Nigeria, stressing that his administration would tackle the terrorist group trying to establish an Islamic state in the oil-rich nation’s north-east.

“The most immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory cannot be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja.

“The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents.

“This government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires.

“Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a recurrence of this evil,” President Buhari said.