The defence headquarters (DHQ) has claimed that the armed forces have ”checkmated” Boko Haram and their operations in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.
Despite claims that the insurgents have been decimated, some parts of the north-eastern region still come under attack, but during an interview with NAN on Monday, John Enenche, coordinator of defence media operations, said the federal government and the military since 2015 had checked the intensity of terrorist activities across the country — particularly in the north-east.
According to Enenche, the initial delay in tackling the menace made it gain momentum — Boko Haram taking over territories and setting up administrative structures — before they were knocked off in 2016.
“The issue of bombings that even spread to other places like Abuja, Kano, Niger and Kogi States, including their slipper cells no longer exist,” he said.
“What about suicide bombing, which is one of the signs of terrorism? It was rife and even at our checkpoints they come and detonate bombs as well as public gatherings; all these have been nipped properly.
“If you put all these together, I can tell you that terrorism has been checkmated.
“However, the signs are still there with isolated action here and there; common with terrorism.”
Enenche said history has shown that terrorism “is a very resilient type of enemy activity”, adding that the type of terrorism in Nigeria is not “a smart one” but rooted in the state of mind of a group of people
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