Is Buratai giving up on terrorism in Nigeria?

Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, has disclosed that Boko Haram terrorists can be found all over the country including Lagos State.

Buratai revealed that the terrorist group is not restricted to the North-east alone but are presently all over Nigeria.

He revealed this during his appearance on Arise Television, saying since members of Boko Haram have been subdued in the North-east, they have moved to other parts of the country.

He stated that though the military has defeated Boko Haram, its currently facing the challenges of terrorism.

According to Buratai, terrorism would remain in Nigeria for years.

He said: “We have defeated insurgency, but facing the challenge of terrorism.

“There is no where you will not find Boko Haram – even in Lagos here, there are Boko Haram. In Kaduna, there are Boko Haram. There are more across the North-east. Many have been arrested here in Lagos. We have been tracking them. We arrest them and take them into custody.

“We must differentiate between insurgency and terrorism. I have tried to tell them at the National Assembly. Someone said three local governments are under Boko Haram. How?

“These guys are not controlling any territory. They attempted to establish their territory, caliphate in Gwoza but they have not been able to because they were flushed out. That is insurgency. They are not holding any territory.

“Typically, that is the end if insurgency. But what of terrorism? Terrorism will outlive you and me and probably everybody in this house because terrorism, since it started, just like armed robbery, like kidnapping, burglary, cultism, it would continue.

“These are all smaller parts of terrorism. It is when it goes higher that you have arsons, like it happened in Borno yesterday, murder and so on deliberately, no cause.”

Recall, Wednesday 12 February, (yesterday) Boko Haram group had attacked Jiddari-Polo area, close to Maiduguri, Borno State immediately after President Muhammadu Buhari’s sympathy visit over an earlier attack in Auno area of the state.