TheCable

Femi Adesina, spokesman President Muhammadu Buhari, says despite the abduction of Dapchi schoolgirls, Boko Haram insurgents have been “terribly degraded”.

Speaking on a Channels TV programme on Sunday, he said the insurgents were “running riots” in all parts of the country before the current administration came on board.

A total of 110 students of Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe, were abducted during the attack which happened on Monday.

Adesina said even though the Dapchi attack should not have happened, the insurgents attacked struck in Yobe because they have “lost out” in Sambisa forest — in Borno state — their stronghold.

“I just want to appeal to the parents of those girls to please bear with the government and trust that the government will do all that is possible and necessary to bring those students back,” he said.

“The insurgency was endemic in three states — Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. But Adamawa and Yobe has been quite under control because the insurgents were driven out completely.

“So it is not unlikely that when they lost out in Sambisa forest, they then found their way back to Yobe which was why what happened, happened. But I’m sure the military is responding adequately to this.”

When asked if the insurgents have been “totally defeated” like the Nigerian army claims, Adesina replied: “If the question is totally, I will say no. But have they been degraded? I will say yes. Terribly, so.”

He added: “Compare how the situation was before this administration came. They were virtually running riots everywhere. You can’t compare then and now. They have been terribly, terribly degraded. But is the war over, no, it is not over.”