TheCable

Abdulrahman Dambazau, minister of interior, says the Boko Haram sect has been completely decimated, with its leadership dismantled.

He said this on Monday during a townhall meeting for the military and security agencies in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

Corroborating Dambazau’s view, Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence, said at least 30,000 women and children have been rescued from Boko Haram insurgents in the last two years.

Dan-Ali said aside the rescue operations, the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole fighting insurgency in the north-east “are ever ready” to confront them.

While saying the Nigerian military had recorded remarkable success in degrading the insurgent group, he added that no Nigerian territory is presently under the control of Boko Haram.

“It is pertinent to state that the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and its air force component inflicted heavy casualty on Boko Haram during the recent Operation Deep Punch II in Sambisa forest,” he said.

The minister said the troops recently destroyed Shilka — self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon system — of Boko Haram fighters and also recovered their arms and ammunition.

He added that they had also destroyed the insurgents’ bombmaking factory and artillery.

He attributed these to the “political will and commitment” of President Muhammadu Buhari in the security sector.

The minister said troops welfare is also being ensured while those at the battlefield were promoted “in recognition of their selfless service”.

“Plans are on the way for the construction of 20 blocks of barracks accommodation under the ministry to ease problem of accommodation of personnel in Abuja,” he added.

“Recently, the army also took in six newly acquired mine caterpillar used to demobilise explosives which had really eased their operations.”