The Ministry of Defence late yesterday denied the report in Voice of America on Wednesday Minister of Defence Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali as saying that that two local governments in the North East are still under Boko Haram occupation and that the abducted Chibok girls are being used as suicide bombers.
The minister had granted the Voice of America (VOA) an interview in which he said, ““Within one year, the coming of our president has changed the game. Look at what was happening before whereby three states, the whole eastern region, was under the terrorists. Now we may have maybe two local governments.”
The Defence Ministry said in a swift reaction said, “For the avoidance of doubt it is important to state here that the Honourable Minister as a guest in the studios of Voice of America spoke in Hausa language and while giving appraisal of the success recorded by the gallant armed forces under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari the honourable minister said hitherto over sixty Local Governments were under the occupation of Boko Haram in the North East but now only about two were having some remnants of Boko Haram activities but not under the complete occupation of the terrorists.
“On the issue of Chibok Girls the Honourable Minister was not referring to the girls abducted on 14 April 2014 from Government Girls Secondary School Chibok rather he was referring to the other girls abducted by the terrorists from Chibok Local Government and its environs,” the statement which was signed by Colonel Tukur Gusau, a public relations officer for the ministry.
Recently, a US Army General had refuted Buhari’s claims on victory over the terrorist group. He said that Boko Haram was still holding significant territory in the country. This claim buttressed an earlier comment made by a Senator from Borno, who claimed that Boko Haram was in control of 50% of Borno State.
