Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has faulted a report recently released by the United Nations on the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in the North East.
In the report released by issued by the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian (OCHA), the UN said despite efforts by the military, some locations in Borno State including three local government areas remained inaccessible to aid workers as a result of the threat posed by the terrorists.
The UN added that Boko Haram hostilities slowed down due to the rainy season and might increase in the coming months.
But in an exclusive interview with Channels Television, Governor Shettima faulted the report and insisted that the terrorist group has been decimated.
Watch full interview on Sunday Politics by 8:00pm
“Honestly, I disagree with the UN report because we have been on ground for quite some time, we are the sitting administration and we should be in a better position to tell the world the ground realities in the state,” he said.
“Five or six Boko Haram (terrorists) will come and burn a village, kill as many people as they could and their prestige in the international jihadist community will rise. So these are nihilists, these are lunatics but otherwise, considerable progress has been made. They have been sufficiently decimated.”
The governor said that contrary to the UN report, the Nigerian military has recorded a remarkable success in its fight against terrorism.
He maintained that the insurgents have been defeated and are in no control of any territory in the state, except for a few of them who are fleeing terrorists and the military is working to conquer them.
Shettima said, “Two and half years ago, the Boko Haram (terrorists) were holding sway in 20 out of 27 local government areas of the state. The Nigerian Army did a wonderful job, we have driven them out of all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. But the truth of the matter is that if anybody tells you that the Boko Haram has been completely wiped out, that person is economical with the truth.
“The Boko Haram are there in the Sambisa forest, I’m not disputing that fact; the Boko Haram are scattered in almost all parts of the state but that they no longer have the strength to hold on to any territory in the Federation of Nigeria.
“For now, I will allow almost all our people to go back to their communities except two local government areas where the peace is still fragile. Like in Abadam (LGA), it is the military that are holding onto the town. But Abadam is not far off from the highland where the Boko Haram are residents. If we allow the people of Abadam to go back for instance, the Boko Haram can easily come and infiltrate and get destruction on the people.
“So until those highlands are cleared of the remnants of the Boko Haram, the people of Marte, the people of Abadam will have to exercise some patience. But with all sense of responsibility, I’m telling you Abadam, Malam Fatori, Marte are in the firm grips of the federal troops,” he said.
