TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari says the battle against Boko Haram is a fight to the finish and the insurgents will be wiped out from the region.

The president said this at the extra-ordinary summit of heads of state and government of the Lake Chad basin commission and Benin in Abuja on Saturday.

He lamented that the region had suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development in the last eight years of the Boko Haram crisis.

Buhari asked leaders to be mindful of the fact that the military may not provide the desired results alone, while there is a need to also pursue a developmental approach to ending the crisis in the area.

“The time has come for the evil of Boko Haram to be brought to a definitive end. I am sure that this summit will take the right decisions in this regard. This is a fight to the finish. We must, and we will, by the grace of God, wipe out terrorism from our sub-region,” Buhari said.

“The Lake Chad region has suffered decades of neglect and poor infrastructural development, the Boko Haram crisis in the last eight (8) years has worsened its already bad situation. We must take cognizance of the fact that sustainable growth and development of the sub-region is dependent on the quick attainment of peace and stability in the area.

“We must put an end to the crisis in the sub-region to enable meaningful development for its people. We must remain resolute and committed in our collective efforts at attaining peace as well as eradicating terrorism and violent extremism from the sub-region.

“To our esteemed partners and the larger international community, we appreciate your valuable support and contributions in helping with the resultant humanitarian crisis. We thank you for intelligence sharing and operations in our determination to defeat Boko Haram and its affiliates.

“We, however, solicit greater cooperation and additional assistance to the LCBC/MNJTF to completely end the menace of Boko Haram and eradicate it from the sub-region. Such an outcome would add to global peace and security.

“Our military strategy must be complemented by the mobilization and deployment of adequate resources to ensure the reconstruction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of civil authority, as well as the provision of relief and succor for the affected.”