Boko Haram Terrorists have been degraded to the extent that they can no longer seize and hold on to any territory in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
This is just as he said government forces had taken over all the territories hitherto under the control of the insurgents, and destroyed their camps.
The president made these assertions in a speech delivered on his behalf at the 13th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey by Education Minister, Adamu Adamu.
According to Buhari, most Boko Haram leaders have been arrested while many others had surrendered to government forces.
He commended Nigeria’s neighbours: Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin and the international community for their support in the fight against insurgency in the country.
President Buhari also commended the OIC for its efforts in ensuring peace worldwide.
On the theme of the summit: “Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace”, the Nigerian leader described the current precarious situation in the Muslim world as a source of great concern.
“A multiplicity of crises and conflicts litter the entire landscape of the Muslim World – from West and North Africa through Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent; from Jammu and Kashmir to Jakarta”, he said.
“And from the Arabian Peninsula and the Near East to the Balkans; many member-states are embroiled in conflicts threatening their very existence and taking an unacceptable toll in human lives and destruction of critical infrastructure.
“Muslim minorities in non-member-states like Myammar, Philippines, Thailand and China; and Muslim migrants in the West are still facing serious political, cultural and economic challenges or outright persecution”.
President Buhari, therefore, called on member-states of the organization to rededicate themselves to the struggle for peace and justice for Palestinians.
He said that Nigeria stood in full solidarity with the Palestinians in their legitimate quest for an independent state.
“The situation in Palestine remains bleak; the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism remains unabated.
“The drums of Islamaphobia, especially in the countries with minority or migrant Muslims, are being beaten to achieve mischievous political objectives.
“Nigeria identifies with and fully supports the just struggle of the people of Palestine against the unjust occupation of their land and the oppression of their people by Israel”, he said.
