Addressing the press in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Monday, Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, maintained that the terrorists “do not subscribe to any religion, despite their pretensions.”
He added that this “explains why they reportedly murdered 11 innocent men in Nigeria recently, in a dastardly and cold-blooded manner, just to avenge the killing of ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by US forces. The world must unite to fight this scourge of our time.
“Our gallant men and women in uniform stepped up the fight against terrorism in 2019, despite the fact that they are not just fighting the rump of Boko Haram but also the Islamic State’s West African
Province (ISWAP).
“Yes, they occasional attack soft targets from the fringe islands in Chad, where they have been confined by our troops, but they don’t hold any territory like they did before the advent of this Administration, when they hoisted their flag in their Bama Caliphate, collected taxes, as well as removed and installed Emirs.
“They no longer have such capabilities.
The successful attacks they carried out in Abuja and other cities are now a thing of the past. The terrorists’ recent attempt to attack soft targets in Damaturu, the Yobe State Capital, and Biu in Borno
State were repelled by the military, with the terrorists suffering heavy casualties.
“It is important that we, as citizens, do not say or do anything to demoralize the gallant troops who are fighting to keep us safe. It’s Christmas and New Year now and we are all with our families
celebrating the holidays.
“But these gallant men and women are in the trenches to keep us safe. Let us remember them in our prayers and give
them our support always, rather than sniping at them.
“ ISWAP Terrorism is not just a Nigerian problem. It’s a global problem and it has global
ramifications. The terrorists are as irrational as they are inhuman.
“They do not subscribe to any religion, despite their pretensions. That explains why they reportedly murdered 11 innocent men in Nigeria recently, in a dastardly and cold-blooded manner, just to avenge the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by US forces. The world must unite to fight this scourge of our time.
“Also, thanks to a multi-dimensional approach, the incessant farmers-herders clashes across the country, as well as banditry and kidnapping, have been reduced to the barest minimum.”
NAN